Tofu Stir-Fry with Thai Eggplants and Basil

Recently I went downtown on a mission- I desperately wanted to find fresh pandan leaves with which to unlock a whole arsenal of Southeast Asian recipes. I went to Chinatown following a lead from Yelp that a store just on Spadina had it- sure enough, I found not only my pandan but also galangal, shrimp-free curry paste, ridiculously cheap lemongrass and some Thai basil and eggplants. Being so elated by my discovery of the pandan leaves, I loaded up on everything that looked interesting with no regard for whether I knew how to cook it or how to get it home.

Yeah, I sometimes get overly enthusiastic about finding new ingredients to use. I'd seen Thai basil before, of course, but never the tiny green Thai eggplants. Since I love eggplant in all shapes and forms, I got a pack and decided to somewhat emulate the Thai basil eggplant I sometimes see on restaurant menus.

A different time I made this using the more readily available Chinese eggplants and fried tofu.

I can't say that I went for authenticity, though. I don't eat fish, so the ubiquitous fish sauce used in Thai cooking was out of the question. I remembered reading somewhere that one could use watered-down hoisin sauce, and while I doubted that would taste anything like the real thing, I did have a bottle of vegetarian hoisin sauce awaiting deployment in the fridge. So, until I found a better fish sauce substitute, that'd do the trick.

While it lacks fermentedness in its flavour, the hoisin does add to the savoury, slightly tangy taste of the sauce, along with some soya sauce to balance it out. I added a couple of dried peppers for heat (fresh would work well, too, but would probably be more pungent) and some garlic, and a little coconut sugar for a sweet note. The sauce isn't overwhelming to the taste of the basil, but still infuses the tofu with flavour well, which was my main objective. You can use fried or unfried tofu- I used fried tofu just recently, so I decided to go with unfried.

Lastly, I added a handful of roasted cashew pieces just because I really like cashews. They add a bit of crunch and extra protein, along with nutty flavour, but you can skip them entirely. I was very happy with how this recipe turned out, since I practically improvised the whole thing based on what was on my fridge. Served with jasmine rice, this makes a quick and delicious meal.

Tofu Stir-Fry with Thai Eggplants and Basil

For the Sauce:
3 TBSP Soya sauce
3 TBSP Hoisin sauce (I used a vegetarian one, naturally)
3 TBSP Water
2 Dried red bird chillies, crumbled into bits
2 Tsp. Coconut, palm or brown sugar

Mix all well and set aside.

For the Tofu and Vegetables:
1 1/2 TBSP Vegetable oil
225 g. (1/2 Lb.) Firm Tofu, cut into bite-sized cubes (or fried tofu)
250 g. (a bit more than 1/2 Lb.) Thai eggplants, cut into halves and quarters (or Chinese eggplants- the long and thin ones)
1 Red bell pepper, cut into thin strips (or a mix of colours)
2 Shallots, cut into thin strips
3-4 Garlic cloves, finely minced
Small bunch of Thai basil, torn into bits, stems removed
Juice of 1/2 a lime
1/3 C. Roasted cashews (optional)

Heat up 1 TBSP of oil on medium-high heat in a large skillet or wok. Add the garlic and fry until sizzling and beginning to brown.

Add half of the sauce (look out for splattering). Add the tofu, pepper and shallots. Cook for about 2 minutes, until slightly toasted and browned.

Add the eggplants and remaining sauce. Add the remaining oil and fry for about a minute. Lower the heat to medium-low and cover, cooking until the eggplants are tender but still not falling apart. If at any point the mixture seems too dry, add another tablespoon of water.

Take off the heat and add the cashews and basil, reserving a small amount of fresh basil for a garnish if desired. Sprinkle with the lime juice (to help keep the colour bright).