This Thai Basil Eggplant Stir-fry is a tasty way to enjoy eggplant. The Thai basil and chili garlic sauce make this dish extra fragrant, and you can't go without serving it with fresh rice. It's easy to make and ready in 20 minutes!
Can't get enough of eggplant? Try my Chinese Eggplant in Garlic Sauce next!
๐ About This Recipe
Thai Basil and Eggplant are a match made in heaven. If you've never had Thai basil before, it's similar to regular basil, but it has a pepperier and more anise-like flavor. In Asia, it's very popular to add to stir-fries, salads, and curries.
Eggplants tend to absorb a lot of oil when they cook. That is why you never see them deep-fried unless they are coated in a batter that protects them. Even when stir-fried, they absorb the oil almost immediately.
This poses a problem because we need oil to fry both sides of the eggplant and some for the aromatics afterward. The key is to add the oil in multiple additions so that it doesn't all get absorbed at once. The initial fry will collapse a lot of the eggplant's cell structure, so by the time the aromatics are added, they aren't absorbing as much oil anymore.
๐ง Ingredients
I prefer this stir-fry spicier, so I add quite a bit of chili garlic sauce. If you prefer it milder, just add less or omit it altogether.
- Eggplant: I highly recommend using Japanese or Chinese-style eggplants for this. They're more tender and less seedy than American eggplants.
- Thai Basil: We'll need about one bunch or one cup of leaves. You can also use holy basil or regular basil in a pinch. Try to find the fresher leaves which are more fragrant. If you can't tell how fresh they are, just give them a sniff. Fresher leaves will smell much stronger.
- Sauce: I like using a mixture of chili garlic sauce, fish sauce, soy sauce, dark soy sauce, and sugar. I thin it out with a bit of chicken stock and then thicken it with cornstarch. For the chicken stock, I just mix chicken bouillon powder with hot water.
- Garlic: I added a little bit more garlic in addition to the chili garlic sauce because I like it extra garlicky.
- Oil: Of course we need some oil for stir-frying.
๐ช Instructions
STEP 1: In a small bowl, mix together the chili garlic sauce, fish sauce, soy sauce, dark soy sauce, sugar, chicken stock, and cornstarch.
STEP 2: Heat your wok over high heat and add 2 tablespoons of oil. Add the eggplant and cook until charred on the bottom, about 2 to 3 minutes. Do not stir the eggplant during this time. Flip the eggplant over, add another tablespoon of oil around the edges, and cook for another 2 minutes until tender. Remove to a bowl.
STEP 3: Reduce the heat to medium and add the remaining tablespoon of oil, garlic, and Thai basil. Stir-fry for 30 seconds, then add the sauce mixture. Cook for one minute until the sauce starts bubbling.
STEP 4: Add back the eggplant and stir fry until it's well coated. Let the eggplant cook in the sauce for 2 minutes, and then it's ready to enjoy!
This dish is quite bold in terms of flavors so I like to pair it with a freshly steamed bowl of rice and simple veggie stir-fry like carrots and cabbage.
๐ Recipe
Thai Basil Eggplant Stir-fry
Ingredients
Sauce
- 1 tablespoon chili garlic sauce
- 2 teaspoons fish sauce
- ยฝ teaspoon soy sauce
- ยฝ teaspoon dark soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- ยฝ cup chicken stock
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
Stir-fry
- 2 Chinese or Japanese eggplants (cut at an angle into ยฝ-thick slices)
- 4 tablespoons oil (divided)
- 2 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 cup Thai basil leaves
Instructions
- In a small bowl, mix together the sauce ingredients. Set aside.
- Heat your wok over high heat and add 2 tablespoons of oil. Add the eggplant and cook, without stirring, until charred on the bottom, about 2 to 3 minutes. Flip the eggplant over, add another tablespoon of oil around the edges, and cook for another 2 minutes until tender. Remove to a bowl.
- Reduce the heat to medium and add the remaining tablespoon of oil, garlic, and Thai basil. Stir-fry for 30 seconds, then add the sauce mixture. Cook for one minute until the sauce starts bubbling.
- Add back the eggplant and stir fry until it's well coated. Let the eggplant cook in the sauce for 2 minutes, and then it's ready to enjoy!
Jill
I donโt have chili garlic sauce, but I do have chili sauce. Can I just add extra garlic?
Grump
Do you have sriracha? That + garlic would be a better substitute