Extra Appetite Flavorful Thai Basil Eggplant Recipes

EXTRA (AP)PETITE: FLAVORFUL THAI BASIL EGGPLANT RECIPE

Steps:

• Prepare a large bowl of cold water mixed with a spoonful of salt (I'm using a strainer bowl below). A salt water bath will keep your eggplant from browning right away, and will rinse away some excess bitterness. Cut eggplant into evenly-sized, approx. 1 inch sticks and place immediately into the salt water. Chop your garlic, chilis, Thai basil, and get other ingredients in place while the eggplant soaks.
• Pour 1 cup water into a frying pan on medium heat and wait for it to simmer.
• Drain the eggplant of salt water, which will be a little brown. Rinse the eggplant off with more cold water and drain again. If you're in a hurry and don't care about excess brown color (I usually don't), then you can skip the soaking & rinsing in Steps 1 & 3!
• When the water in the pan comes to a gentle boil, add the eggplant and cover with a lid. Let it steam, covered, for about 3 minutes until partially cooked and semi softened. We will finish cooking it with all the other ingredients, but this quick steam helps it cook more evenly with no oil! The eggplant will start to lose its purple color as it cooks and softens.
• Remove eggplant with a slotted spoon into a separate bowl. Save about half a cup of the hot water into a measuring cup, and pour out the rest.
• Combine fish sauce and soy sauce in a small bowl. I wouldn't do this too far in advance, because fish sauce is incredibly pungent on its own! (most of the strong smell cooks away into saltiness) Add some cooking oil to your pan, and lightly brown your meat with a rough spoonful of the fish/soy sauce mixture.
• When the meat is almost cooked, sauté in the garlic and chilis for a minute.
• Gently stir the partially-cooked eggplant in along with the sugar, the rest of the fish / soy sauce mixture, and about 1/3 to 1/2 cup hot water. The amount of hot water depends on how saucy you want the dish and how much water stayed on your steamed eggplant. Cook until the eggplant is tender (try one), being careful not to overcook as it'll become mushy!
• Stir in Thai basil, quickly remove the pan from heat, and serve. Basil loses it's flavor when cooked, so add it in right before you're ready to eat!

THAI BASIL EGGPLANT

Steps:

• Peel eggplant if desired (I don't). Cut into irregular shapes but same sizes. That makes them easier to turn and keeps them from sticking to the pan.
• Heat wok over med-high heat. Add oil, peppers and garlic. Cook until garlic becomes lightly browned, 1-2 minutes.
• Add eggplant and stir. Add 1/2 cup water cover and simmer 5 minutes, until eggplant has soaked up most of the water and becomes translucent. You may need to add more water as it cooks.
• Add fish sauce and sugar. Stir gently. Turn off the heat and add the basil stir gently.
• Serve immediately.
• Really good with jasmine rice :O.

THAI BASIL EGGPLANT

Steps:

• Heat oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Add chile and garlic; cook and stir until garlic is golden, about 1 minute. Add eggplants to the fragrant garlic oil. Stir in water and cover. Cook, stirring every few minutes, until eggplants soften, 5 to 8 minutes.
• Uncover and stir in soy sauce, sugar, and salt. Stir well and continue cooking until all the water has evaporated and eggplant is coated with sauce, about 5 minutes. Add basil leaves and stir once; remove from heat.

THAI BASIL EGGPLANT CURRY

Steps:

• This is written to chop as you go, but if that makes you nervous or you don't think you can work quickly enough, just chop everything first. I'll bet you can do it the second time you make this, though. Again, this makes a LOT of food so you'll need a big wok or cook pot, or cut the quantities in half.
• Put your rice on so it's cooking while you work. Follow the directions on the bag and set a timer if you have one because you'll be distracted. It'll be done before the food is ready but will stay plenty hot enough to serve.
• Start with the carrots and potatoes; slice them fairly thin and saute them in the oil and 1/3 tin of curry paste on medium-high heat for five minutes. Cover and go to the next step.
• Cut the eggplant into bite-sized cubes. You can peel the eggplant if you want but I think both texture and flavor is better if you leave the skin on. Add to the pan; saute, stirring occasionally, another five minutes. Cover and go on to the next step.
• Slice the onion and bell pepper into fairly thin strips and add them to the pan; saute, stirring occasionally, another five minutes. Cover and go to the next step.
• Cut the zucchini into bite-size pieces and add to the pan. Strip the basil leaves off their stems and add them too. Stir and cover. Just one more step and you're done.
• Get a blender out and blend the can of coconut milk with one can full of chicken broth and the second 1/3 of red curry paste. Take a good long whiff of it. WOW! Remember to sneeze away from the food. Call one of your family in to smell it and laugh as they experience the same thing you just did, but not in a mean way so they won't get mad when you then ask them to set the table for you while you finish up. Get excited about how awesome this is going to be.
• Add the coconut/chicken/curry liquid to the pan and let it come to a simmer. Once it's simmering you can check a potato or a carrot for doneness; they should be tender. Dinner's ready!
• Serve in a bowl over steaming white rice and a box of Kleenex on the table because you're probably going to need it. Jasmine rice really is preferable for this. If you serve this worthy food over instant rice I swear I'll drive over there and whup you myself. Instant rice is an abomination in the eyes of the Lord.