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This “Eggplant & Beans Stir-Fry” recipe is pretty renowned across China. The soft fried eggplants and the crisp-tender long beans tossed in an exquisite soy sauce & vinegar dressing is truly worth a taste! It’s a yummy way to include veggies into the daily diet. Especially, when speaking of kids! The Eggplant & Beans Stir-Fry work as a fabulous starter as well as a light meal!
Ingredients
for Eggplant & Beans Stir-Fry
- 1-2 fresh Eggplant
- 150 grams long beans
- 1-2 green chilies (chopped)
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger (peeled & minced)
- 1 tablespoon chopped garlic
- Salt (to taste)
- Oil (for frying)
- A handful of Fresh coriander (chopped, for garnishing)
Things needed for the Sauce-
- 2 tablespoon of chili with fried garlic paste
- 4 teaspoons light soy sauce
- 2 teaspoon dark soy sauce
- 3 teaspoons Sugar
- 4 teaspoons vinegar
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 1/3 cup of water
Directions to Prepare & cook the Eggplant & Beans Stir-Fry
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Prepare the Eggplants & Beans
- Wash the eggplants and cut them into 3-inches long & 1½-2 inches thick strips (*Do not remove the skin). Sprinkle some salt, toss the eggplant pieces, and let it sit for 5-10 minutes.
- To prepare the long green beans, trim the ends and cut them into 3-inches long pieces. Rinse and blanch. (*To blanch the beans- boil water in a pot, put the rinsed beans in the boiling water, cook for 3 minutes, and transfer the beans to a bowl of chilled water.)
Cook the Eggplant & Beans Stir-Fry
Step 1: Place a wok (or large frying pan) on the stove over medium-high flame. Drizzle about ½ cup of cooking oil.
Step 2: Once the oil is hot, transfer the salt marinated eggplant pieces. Fry for 3-5 minutes so that the eggplants are tender and slightly brown. Stir regularly.
Step 3: Drop the chopped green chilies, minced ginger, & chopped garlic to the wok. Fry for 2-3 minutes by stirring frequently.
Step 3: Remove the fried eggplants on a dish. Also take the oil out of the wok, leaving just 1 tablespoon to continue cooking.
Step 4: Meanwhile, take a small bowl and prepare the sauce. Mix the chili and fried garlic paste with soy sauce, sugar, vinegar, cornstarch, & water. Put the sauce in the wok. Stir and cook for a minute.
Step 5: Add the fried eggplants & blanched beans into the sauce mixture. Toss them in the sauce for 2 minutes. Turn off the stove. To finish off, transfer the “Eggplant & Beans Stir-Fry” into a serving dish garnished with freshly chopped coriander sprigs.
Tips
- You can also add okra into the dish. Trim the okra (tip & end) and cut in half (breadth-wise) before frying it along with the eggplants.
- If you prefer milder heat, use deseeded chopped bell peppers into the dish. Add them in Step 2.
Give this simple “Eggplant & Beans Stir-Fry” a try! You would feel like having it every week!