Japanese Eggplant Aubergine Saute Recipes

Steps:

• Combine Soy sauce, mirin, crushed garlic and ginger in a bowl.
• Slice your eggplant thinly and into small pieces.
• Toss eggplant in hot pan (I use a spray oil like Pam) with the sauce mixture.
• Sauté at a medium heat until very tender, about 10 minutes.
• Add a little water to keep the veg moist if necessary.
• Great as a side dish for fish or chicken.
• Add diced medium firm tofu or any other protein for a very simple, quick meal.

Steps:

• Trim off the calyx end of the eggplants. Cut in half lengthwise, then slice thin (about 1/4 inch). Lightly salt, and toss in a colander. Allow to sit for 15 minutes while you prepare the other ingredients. Squeeze out excess water, then dry between sheets of paper towel.
• Meanwhile, trim off the ends of the cucumbers. Cut in half lengthwise, then slice on the diagonal into 1/4-inch thick slices.
• Combine the rice vinegar, soy sauce, sugar, salt and sesame oil in a small bowl. Place all of the ingredients near your wok or frying pan.
• Heat a 14-inch flat-bottomed wok or 12-inch steel skillet over high heat until a drop of water evaporates within a second or two from the surface of the pan. Add the peanut or canola oil to the sides of the pan and tilt the pan to distribute. Add the eggplant. Stir-fry for three to four minutes until cooked through. Add the ginger and red pepper flakes, and stir-fry for 30 seconds. Add the cucumbers and scallions or chives. Stir-fry 30 seconds. Add the soy sauce mixture to the wok, and stir-fry one minute until the cucumber just begins to wilt. Remove from the heat and serve.

Steps:

• In small saucepan over medium heat, bring sherry, dark sesame oil, garlic, ginger root, vinegar, and 1 TBS of the soy sauce to a low simmer.
• Thoroughly stir cornstarch into water until well blended and add to saucepan.
• Simmer sauce until thickened, then turn off heat, cover and set aside.
• Heat a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat for 1 minute, then add the light sesame oil (or vegetable oil) and heat the oil for a minute.
• Add the chopped onion to the skillet, and saute until tender but not golden.
• Add the diced tofu to the skillet and saute up to 10 minutes to remove excess moisture.
• Add the eggplant and sprinkle with remaining 1 TBS of soy sauce, and saute until tender but not mushy.
• Stir in sauce.
• Serve over brown rice.

Steps:

• HOW TO MAKE THE EGGPLANT: Wash eggplant, but do not peel.
• Cut into 1/2 inch cubes.
• Heat vegetable oil in a large frying pan.
• Add the cubes of eggplant and saute over high heat until lightly browned here and there.
• This should take about 2 minutes.
• Add the remaining ingredients.
• Stir well, cover pan and simmer over low heat until eggplant is tender and sauce is just a bit thicker.
• Serves 2.
• HOW TO MAKE THE DASHI: Bring the water to a fast rolling boil.
• Add kombu seaweed.
• Stir for 2 to 3 minutes to release its flavour.
• Then remove with a slotted spoon (leaving it in the soup would make it too strong).
• Bring the water back to a fast rolling boil and add the bonito shavings.
• Bring back to the boil, then quickly remove from the heat.
• Let the bonito shavings settle in the bottom of the pan---this usually takes 2 to 3 minutes.
• Strain; now the dashi, or broth, is ready to use.
• Yield: 6 cups.
• *InJapan it is used as much as we use salt, and it is a vegetable protein derivative.
• If you wish to use it, look for the Japanese type in Oriental shops.
• **Kombu:Kelp or dried seaweed tangle, which is one of two most basic and important ingredients for making soup stock (dashi).
• ***Shreddeddried bonito (a fish), the other essential for basic stock (dashi).
• Can be purchased in one piece, then grated, or already grated and packaged, which is much more convenient.
• DASHI: This soup stock is the base for almost all Japanese dishes, so it is important to learn how to make it.
• Chicken stock can replace dashi, but a certain flavour will be missing.
• Madame Benoit's World of Food.