Japanese Eggplant and Oyster Mushroom Stir Fry
A simple plant-based stir fry with Japanese eggplant and oyster mushrooms sautéed in a garlic ginger soy sauce.
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 157kcal
Ingredients
- 3 Japanese eggplants or substitute with Chinese eggplants
- ½ lb oyster mushrooms
- 4-6 cloves garlic
- 1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger
- 2 scallions white and green parts
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- ¼ - ½ cup hot water
- ¼ cup low sodium soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons honey substitute coconut sugar or brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- Neutral oil for frying eggplant
- Chili garlic sauce or sriracha to taste optional
- Rice, noodles, sesame seeds for serving
Instructions
- Start by prepping the eggplant. Slice into 1 inch chunks on a diagonal. Place eggplant chunks in a large bowl of cold, lightly salted water and let stand while you prep the rest of the ingredients.
- Clean the oyster mushrooms by wiping off any dirt with a damp cloth or paper towel. Do not rinse or immerse in water. If the mushrooms are clumped together in large groups, separate them a bit by tearing them apart or cutting off the big bottom end of the stem that joins them together. Set aside.
- Separate the white/light green part of the scallions from the dark green parts and thinly slice the white/light green parts. Set aside the dark green parts for garnishing the finished dish.
- Peel and thinly slice fresh garlic cloves. Grate fresh ginger.
- Drain eggplant and pat dry with a clean kitchen towel. Toss with half of the cornstarch until all pieces are evenly coated in a thin layer.
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add a tablespoon of neutral oil to the pan. Fry the eggplant for 3-4 minutes on each side until browned a slightly charred. You may have to do this in two batches and add more oil as necessary. Remove eggplant from pan and set aside.
- Add a ¼ cup of hot tap water to the remaining cornstarch in a small bowl to make a slurry.
- Add a bit more neutral oil to the same skillet and fry the mushrooms until light golden brown. Remove from pan and set aside with eggplant.
- Lower the heat a little bit and add sesame oil to the same skillet. Fry the thinly sliced white/light green parts of the scallions, garlic and ginger for 1-2 minutes until softened and fragrant. Careful not to burn the garlic.
- Add in soy sauce, cornstarch slurry and honey and stir until the sauce thickens and comes together. Stir in rice vinegar and chili garlic sauce or sriracha to taste (if using for heat).
- Add eggplant and mushrooms to the sauce and toss to coat the vegetables. If the sauce gets too thick or siezes up, thin it out by adding more water 1-2 tablespoons at a time.
- Cook until vegetables are thoroughly coated and warmed through. Serve immediately over rice or noodles, garnished with dark green parts of scallions and sesame seeds.
Notes
This recipe moves quickly once you start cooking so be sure to have all of your ingredients prepped and ready to go before you heat the skillet.
Chinese eggplant can be substituted for Japanese eggplant.
If you can't find oyster mushrooms, substitute with sliced Shitake mushrooms.
Nutrition
Calories: 157kcal | Carbohydrates: 28g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 591mg | Potassium: 724mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 16g | Vitamin A: 126IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 33mg | Iron: 2mg