Eggplant tofu recipe with garlic basil sauce
Delicious Eggplant Tofu with Garlic Basil Sauce recipe with buttery soft eggplant and crispy tofu soaked in a flavorful garlicky basil sauce.
Servings: 4 servings
Ingredients
- 1 lb Chinese eggplant
- 3 cups room temperature water
- 3 tbsp distilled white vinegar
- 2-2.5 tbsp starch
- 14 oz. tofu puffs either dice to triangle or 1-inch cubes
- 0.75 oz garlic clove finely minced, 5 large
- 0.25 oz ginger root finely minced, half of one small thumb size
- 3-4 whole Chinese dried red chili peppers optional
- 2.5 tbsp avocado oil divided
- ¼ tsp coarse sea salt
- 1 oz Thai basil leaves or 1.25 oz Italian basil, a large handful
Garlic basil sauce:
- ½ cup chicken stock or vegetable stock
- 1 tbsp light soy sauce or 1 tbsp coconut aminos
- 1 tbsp dark soy sauce or 1 tbsp coconut aminos
- 1 tbsp oyster sauce or vegetarian oyster sauce
- 1 tbsp Chinese black vinegar or aged balsamic vinegar
- 1 tsp coconut brown sugar skip if using coconut aminos
- 1 tsp tapioca starch
Instructions
Eggplant prep:
- Tim away the tip end of the eggplants. Cut it into wedges by first holding your knife at a 45-degree angle and making a 1.5-inch long cut. Then, continue to roll the ingredient 90 degrees and make cuts of the same width and angle until it is all cut.
- Soak the eggplants in a large bowl of room temperature water with vinegar for 15 minutes. Place a small plate on top of the eggplants to help them submerge under the water.
- After soaking, pat them dry, and transfer to a large mixing bowl. Sprinkle with starch and toss to coat well on all sides.
Tofu puffs (from scratch):
- To make homemade tofu puffs, you’ll pat dry the tofu, slice to bite size cubes, pat dry again and gently coat with starch on all sides. You can air fry or shallow fry on a stovetop with a little more oil until golden brown. Transfer them out to set aside ready to use.
- See our homemade tofu puffs recipe for more info.
Aromatics and Sauce:
- Prepare the garlic and ginger, and set aside the chili peppers. In a small bowl, combine the sauce.
Fry eggplant:
- In a large saute pan, preheat it over medium-low heat until it feels hot, add 1.5 tbsp oil.
- Turn heat up to medium-high, pan fry the eggplant in a single layer for 2 minutes on the first side. Flip the eggplants, add the remaining 1 tbsp oil, pan fry for 2 more minutes or until they turn softer in the middle and the outside is a little crisp.
- Add in the garlic, ginger, and chili pepper, and salt. Saute for 30 seconds.
- Add the tofu, sauce, and basil. Turn heat up to high and toss for 1 minute or until the sauce thickens.
- Transfer to a large serving plate. Serve warm with steamed rice.
Video
Notes
- Italian eggplant or graffiti eggplant also works well for this dish. Slice them into roughly 2.5 to 3-inch spears. When pan frying, add 1 more minute per side to cook because their skin is thicker than Chinese eggplant.
- Tofu puffs are a popular vegetarian ingredient in Asian cuisines. They are freshly made tofu deep fried to a puffy, airy inside and slightly crisp outside. Because they’re puffy inside, the air holes absorb sauce and liquid well, enhancing the flavor and texture of the tofu.
- Types of tofu to use (for homemade tofu puffs): Use fresh tofu (labeled as fresh on the packaging), firm, or medium-firm tofu. Soft tofu (not silken) only works when you make them in an air fryer.
- Chili pepper substitutes: You can also use 1 whole Thai red chili pepper or 1 red Fresno pepper, sliced with seeds removed.
- Make-ahead: You can make the tofu puffs 1 day ahead, let them cool, and store in the fridge.
- Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat in a microwave on medium for 1 minute
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 237kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Sodium: 692mg | Potassium: 375mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 599IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 168mg | Iron: 2mg