Serves: 3-4
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 45 minutes
Ingredients:
oil for roasting (vegetable, canola, etc...)
450 g (1 lb) eggplant, cubed into 1" pieces
salt to taste
400 g (14 oz) extra-firm tofu, cubed into 1" pieces
1 tbsp cornstarch / cornflour
43-57 g (3-4 tbsp) unsalted butter (or butter alternative)
1.25 cups (about 5 whole) shallots, thinly sliced
5 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
2 tbsp fresh ginger, minced
1/2 cup reduced sodium soy sauce (or GF tamari)
1 tbsp brown sugar (or regular sugar)
1 tbsp crushed black pepper
rice (to serve)
steamed egg (optional)
chili oil or sauce (optional)
This is another recipe that I cooked for the first time with friends. However, I was confident in the outcome for two reasons. One, a good friend said it was incredible and sent me the recipe. And two, anything I have cooked from Deb Perelman (Smitten Kitchen) has turned out to be fantastic.
As I was cooking this with my friend, I told her I thought the perfect trio of flavours was soy-garlic-ginger. She dubbed it the holy trinity. I think it's the perfect name! Her partner said the dish reminded him of childhood which makes the dish feel all the more special. I absolutely love soy-garlic-ginger and this recipe does this with the black peppercorn so well! It's not spicy, just spiced. Add additional chili sauce for a nice kick. My friend steamed some eggs for us with a bit of sesame oil and the fluffy eggs paired so beautifully with the flavourful tofu-eggplant.
Please note the recipe calls for "reduced sodium" soy/tamari. If using full salt, reduce the quantity to 6 tbsp full salt soy sauce + 2 tbsp water.
Ingredients:
oil for roasting (vegetable, canola, etc...)
450 g (1 lb) eggplant, cubed into 1" pieces
salt to taste
400 g (14 oz) extra-firm tofu, cubed into 1" pieces
1 tbsp cornstarch / cornflour
43-57 g (3-4 tbsp) unsalted butter (or butter alternative)
1.25 cups (about 5 whole) shallots, thinly sliced
5 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
2 tbsp fresh ginger, minced
1/2 cup reduced sodium soy sauce (or GF tamari)
1 tbsp brown sugar (or regular sugar)
1 tbsp crushed black pepper
rice (to serve)
steamed egg (optional)
chili oil or sauce (optional)
Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 218 C / 425 F. Drizzle 3 tbsp of oil on a large baking sheet (or baking paper-lined baking sheet) and put it in the oven to heat up. Cook rice and keep it warm.
2. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, toss the eggplant with 1 tbsp oil and some salt. Lay the eggplant on 2/3 of the baking sheet.
3. In the same bowl, coat the tofu with cornstarch/cornflour and some salt. Lay the tofu on the baking sheet and roast the eggplant and tofu for 20 minutes.
4. Remove the baking sheet and flip the tofu and eggplant to crisp up the other side. Once they look roasted (after about 10 minutes more), remove from the oven.
5. Meanwhile, in a large skillet on medium high, melt the butter and then add shallots, garlic, and ginger. Reduce the heat and cook until tender (about 10 minutes).
6. Add the soy sauce, sugar, and black pepper and cook until thickening and simmering (about 3 minutes).
7. Add in the tofu and eggplant and coat them with the sauce.
8. Remove from heat and serve over rice and with steamed egg (optional) and chili oil (optional).
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