Vegan Vietnamese Tofu And Eggplant Recipes

VEGAN VIETNAMESE TOFU AND EGGPLANT

Steps:

• Cut up the tofu into little cubes, about 2cm (just under an inch) long or so.
• Slice the eggplants into 4 long strips, then cut them up into slices, about 1cm (half an inch roughly) thick.
• Slice up your spring onion, fairly thinly, as in the pictures and separate the white and the greens.
• Finely chop the ginger and garlic, either with a knife or in a food chopper or even a pestle and mortar.
• Combine the black bean sauce, soy sauce and palm sugar in a small bowl and keep aside.
• Heat a wok up on medium high heat and heat up 2 tsp of the oil.
• Fry the tofu on the high heat for about 3 minutes, stirring, to crisp up the tofu, turning them to brown all over.
• Turn out the tofu onto a plate and keep warm.
• Heat another tsp of oil in the wok, still on medium high heat and sauté the white part of the spring onions, the ginger, garlic and chilli for 2 minutes until fragrant. The chillies are going to make you cough. If you like, add the chillies in later with the sauces.
• Add the eggplants in, turn the heat up and fry them for 3 minutes, browning and crisping the eggplants up in the process. This caramelises them and provides a lovely smoky, bittersweet flavour.
• Next, add the tofu, the combined sauces, the salt and freshly ground black pepper, stir and bring back to boil.
• Lower heat down and simmer (just bubbling) for another 5 minutes, at which time your eggplants should be just done. If you like your eggplants mushy, cook them for longer. Check seasoning, add a bit more salt if needed.
• Take off heat and stir in the sesame oil.
• Serve immediately, garnished with the sesame seeds and green part of the spring onions.
• Serve it with the rice you cooked, some slices of cucumber or tomatoes or some salad leaves, and you have a complete meal in 30 minutes.