Name: Stir-fried eggplant with sweet tamarind sauce
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 1 large eggplant, diced; 2 tbsp cornflour; 150 mL vegetable oil; 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced; 2 golden shallots, thinly sliced; 2 long red chillies, seeds removed, finely chopped; 50 gm palm sugar, crushed; 60 ml fish sauce (¼ cup); 2 tbsp tamarind extract; To serve: torn coriander and lime wedges, steamed jasmine rice

Stir-fried eggplant with sweet tamarind sauce

Recipe for stir-fried eggplant with sweet tamarind sauce | Gourmet Traveller

Serves 4

Prep

10M

Cook

20M

Total

30M

Eggplant season is in full swing right now, so make the most of it. Adjust the fish sauce and tamarind to suit your taste.

Ingredients

1 large eggplant, diced

2 tbsp cornflour

150 mL vegetable oil

2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

2 golden shallots, thinly sliced

2 long red chillies, seeds removed, finely chopped

50 gm palm sugar, crushed

60 ml fish sauce (¼ cup)

2 tbsp tamarind extract

To serve: torn coriander and lime wedges, steamed jasmine rice

Method

Main

1.Dust eggplant in cornflour and set aside. Heat oil in a wok over high heat, then stir-fry garlic until golden and crisp (2-4 minutes). Transfer with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain. Repeat with shallot.

2.Remove half the oil from the wok and reserve. Add half the eggplant to wok and stir-fry until oil is absorbed and eggplant is golden (2-4 minutes; be careful, hot oil will spit). Set aside. Repeat with reserved oil and eggplant.

3.Remove any remaining oil from wok, add chilli and stir-fry until it starts to change colour and become tender (1-2 minutes), then add palm sugar, fish sauce and tamarind extract, and bring to a simmer, stirring to dissolve sugar. Return eggplant to pan, toss to combine and transfer to a plate. Scatter with fried garlic and shallot, and coriander, and serve with lime wedges and steamed rice.

Note To make tamarind extract, soak 80gm tamarind pulp in 125ml boiling water in a bowl for 5 minutes, then mix to form a paste, strain and discard solids.
Drink Suggestion: Vibrant young grenache Drink suggestion by Max Allen
Notes