Braised Tofu and Eggplant
Braised Tofu & Eggplant (Vegan)
Looking for a quick, delicious, and beginner-friendly vegan recipe? Try this Braised Tofu and Eggplant! This one-pot dish is incredibly easy to make, with no special skills required. Perfect for busy individuals or anyone new to cooking, it uses simple pantry staples and comes together effortlessly. The star of the dish is the well-seasoned tofu and tender eggplant, all simmered in a flavorful 4-ingredient sauce. Plus, with just one pot to clean, you'll spend less time washing up and more time enjoying your meal!
INGREDIENTS
Firm Tofu - 250g
Eggplant - 250g
Salt - 2 tsp
Garlic Powder - 2 tsp
Scallions - 15g (white part)
Scallions - 15g (green part)
Garlic - 2 cloves
Grated Ginger - 1/2 tbsp
Birdseye Chili - 5 (or to taste)
Sesame Oil- 1 tbsp
Cooking Oil - 6 tbsp
SLURRY
Cornstarch - 1 1/2 tbsp
Water - 3 tbsp
SAUCE
Vegetable Stock - 1 cup
Light Soy Sauce - 3 tbsp
Dark Sweet Soy Sauce - 2 tbsp
Shaoxing Wine - 1 tbsp (optional)
Sugar - 1/2 tbsp
Ingredients
Firm Tofu (200g)
The delicious sauce made with 4 ingredients
Searing the eggplant
Cooking process
COOKING PROCESS:
Prepare the ingredients
Mince 2 garlic cloves
Grate some ginger (1/2 tbsp)
Remove the stems from 5 Birdseye chillis
Slice scallions and separate green and white parts (15g each)
Prepare the sauce
In a small bowl, mix 1 cup of vegetable stock, 3 tablespoons of light soy sauce, 2 tablespoons of dark soy sauce, 1 tablespoon of Shaoxing Wine (optional) and 1/2 tablespoon of sugar.
Mix it well and set aside
Prepare the Eggplant
Cut the eggplant into desired shape/size
Season with 1 teaspoon of salt and 1 teaspoon of garlic powder
In the same pan, heat 3 tablespoon of cooking oil.
Add eggplant pieces into the pan and sear for about 6-8 minutes or until they are 50% cooked. Ensure that you turn the eggplant pieces so that they are cooked on both sides.
Then take them out of the pan and set aside.
Prepare the Tofu
Gently pat the firm tofu dry with paper towels to remove any excess moisture.
Cut tofu into about 1cm slices.
Season the tofu with 1 teaspoon of salt and 1 teaspoon of garlic powder (Ensure that you season both sides of the tofu slices)
Heat a pan and sear the tofu until golden and crisp on the edges. This takes about 6-7 minutes. Then take them out of the pan and set aside.
Brining it all together
In the same pan with some leftover oil, add the garlic, ginger and white part of the scallions. Sauté them for about 3-4 minutes or until golden.
Add the sauce, and slowly bring it to a simmer to deepen the flavor
Once the sauce starts to simmer, add the tofu, eggplant and chilis
Cover and continue to simmer for 15 minutes or until the eggplant is fully cooked and soft
At that point, add the slurry and continue simmering for another couple of minutes.
Once the sauce thickens to desired consistency, add 1 tablespoon of sesame oil
Then top with the green part of scallions, and, we're done!
Hope you enjoy the recipe.
Please checkout the Youtube video for detailed instructions.
