Peanut Eggplant Stir Fry
I have a rocky relationship with eggplants.. There are a few dishes I enjoy. I love baba ghanoush, bhurta and a few more. Overall, I stay away from this vegetable- which is not very good since it has a delicious flavor. I am not a big fan of the texture most of the time- but in dishes like bhurta, it works.
I was at our local farmer’s market in Maplewood shopping for fresh ingredients. It was there I saw the most beautiful looking small, long, purple and white eggplants. Considering I am not a big fan, I couldn’t help myself and picked them up promptly. I didn’t know what I was going to do with them but I knew it would have to be some kind of a stir fry. They looked so fresh and tender- I knew they would have to be the star and not a side kick. They sat in my fridge for a few days- actually I forgot I had them in there.
I was at my favorite grocery store- Trader Joes and was looking to replace some salad dressings in my fridge. I usually buy a pear gorgonzola that is delicious. They were out of it but had a new one- spicy peanut vinaigrette with cilantro- yum, I thought. I brought it home and put it away in the fridge.
I finally decided to make the eggplant and stir fried it with a little garlic and olive oil. I wanted to add a little more flavor to it and thought of the peanut dressing. I added a bit of that and it was perfect. Sweet, spicy and savory at the same time- perfect combination. I was also making a ground turkey and green bean stir fry (recipe coming up on Monday) so I decided to serve the eggplant dish on the side. It was a great accompaniment. I served yummy brown rice with the meal and it was healthy, quick and delicious!
- 1 pound small, thin light purple eggplants, cut into 1 inch pieces
- 2 teaspoons garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons spicy peanut vinaigrette (Trader Joes) or any peanut sauce will do
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Salt
- ½ cup cilantro, chopped
In a large frying pan, heat the olive oil. Add the garlic and sauté for a minute on medium heat. Add the eggplant pieces and sauté on high heat for 4-5 minutes. Add the peanut vinaigrette and salt. Saute for 3-4 minutes on medium heat and garnish with cilantro. Check for seasonings and serve.
