Description
Enjoy this easy and delicious eggplant stir fry with Thai basil and chicken that has full flavors and silky textures in one dish. This spicy eggplant dish can be put together in 30 minutes or less. Perfect for a weeknight dinner!
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 pound eggplants, 2 Chinese or Japanese eggplants, or 1 large Globe eggplant. sliced into 1x3 inch pieces
- 2 1/2 Tablespoon oil
- 1 1/2 tablespoon garlic, diced small
- 1-6 chilis, diced small (optional and adjust as needed)
- 1 pound chicken, thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup onion, sliced long and thin.
- 1/2 cup bell peppers, bite-sized pieces
- 1/2 cup pea pods, chopped into 1-inch pieces
- 1 cup Thai Basil
- 1 Tablespoon soybean paste
- 2 1/2 Tablespoon oyster sauce
- 1 Tablespoon soy sauce
- 2 teaspoon rice wine vinegar
- 2 teaspoon sugar
Instructions
- Cut the eggplants into 1x2 inches pieces. In a medium bowl, soak the eggplant slices with water and 2 teaspoons salt to keep the eggplants from browning. Set aside while making the sauce.
- In a small bowl, mix the sauces and sugar. Set aside until ready.
- Add oil to a wok, a large frying pan, or a heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic and chilis, and fry for 30 seconds or less until fragrant but not too browned.
- Add the chicken, and cook for 4-5 minutes. Stir a few times until the chicken turns a slight golden brown. Add 2-3 tablespoons of water to the pan if the chicken gets too dry.
- Add the vegetables (save the basil for last), stir, and cook for 3-4 more minutes. Add more water if necessary to loosen up the food from the pan.
- Drain the eggplant slices and pat dry with paper towels or a clean kitchen towel. Add the eggplants and cook for 4-5 minutes until wilt and soft.
- Add the sauce, stir and cook for 1 more minute. Adjust seasoning as needed here. Add more soy sauce, sugar, or a light touch of vinegar. Also, add more chilis here if desired.
- Add the fresh basil leaves, turn the heat off and serve with cooked jasmine or brown rice. Garnish with sesame seeds and basil, and even add a dash of chili sauce if in need of more heat. Enjoy!
Notes
- Add up to 1/2 cup of water to the pan if necessary while cooking the chicken. Each pan, wok, or stove tops cooks differently. Adjust seasoning the more water you use. (Add slightly more)
- soaking the eggplants in cold water and salt for 15-20 minutes. This helps the eggplants absorb less oil and helps retain the pretty purple color of the eggplants.
- You can fry the eggplants separately if you want extra depth of flavors. After cutting and soaking the eggplants, fry, bake, or air fry the eggplants with a touch of oil. Cook for 3-4 minutes until lightly brown and set aside until step 4 and cook with the chicken for only 1 minute.
- A non-stick pan or wok tends to work well for this recipe. But use the largest frying pan you have if possible.
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- Prep Time: 20
- Cook Time: 20
- Category: Stir Fries
- Method: Stir fry
- Cuisine: Thai
Keywords: eggplant stir fry with thai basil, Thai basil eggplant stir fry, eppplant stir fry, eggplant basil recipe