I think you are going to love this easy Asian-inspired Sticky Eggplant dish! This vegan aubergine dish is made with simple ingredients and totally soy-free! It’s gluten-free, super delicious, and makes a great weeknight dinner. Enjoy this eggplant recipe on its own or add your favorite protein and a side of rice for a complete meal that’s ready in 30 minutes!
Roasted cashews, green onions, bell peppers, eggplant, and green beans make this stir fry healthy for you and flavorful too! I was inspired to make this dish from my travels through India and Asia and this recipe has been modified to be vegan.
How to make aubergines taste good
I have made some down right weird tasting eggplant before. It can be chewy, soggy, tasteless, and flat out weird if made incorrectly. But, I am here to let you in on a little secret that will make your eggplant taste delicious! It’s all about the sauce.
The trick to delicious tasting eggplant is using fresh eggplants and the sauce you toss it in! The texture of eggplant is highly absorbent and the vegetable will soak up whatever flavors you put with it. Which actually makes cooking them easy! After you cover them in this delicious sauce, all you need to do is pan-sear them and tadaa, yummy eggplant!
What do aubergines taste like?
To be honest, eggplant or otherwise known as aubergine doesn’t taste like much. They have a very mild flavor which makes them an excellent addition to any recipe! They take on whatever flavors you cook them with and the texture, is kind of meaty. Which for vegans is awesome!
The eggplant in this dish will be slightly sweet and spicy with soft pieces of eggplant and crunchy toasted cashews! However, if you are looking for a crispy eggplant texture, then I highly suggest checking out Maggie Zhu’s Sichuan Eggplant dish. It’s crispy, flavorful, and a delicious classic Asian dish!
Ingredients
You only need a handful of ingredients for this easy weeknight dinner! Bonus, once you have molasses on hand, you are ready to make ginger molasses cookies. Win-win if you ask me. Here are the main ingredients for this 30-minute vegetarian stir fry:
- Coconut Aminos
- Sesame Oil
- Molasses
- Coconut Sugar
- Freshly Grated Ginger
- Chopped Garlic
- Rice Wine Vinegar
- Sriracha
- Bell Peppers
- Eggplant
- Cashews
- Green Onions
How to make sticky eggplant stir fry
Start by preparing the veggies by cleaning and slicing them. Then prepare the rice according to the package if desired.
Next, heat the green onions, and cashews in sesame oil over medium heat until aromatic and the cashews are toasted.
Then, add in sliced bell peppers and minced garlic and saute again for a few minutes. Finally, add in all the spices, rice wine vinegar, molasses, and the rest of the sesame oil with the eggplant and toss to coat evenly. Cover the pot with a lid and allow the eggplant to simmer and cook in the flavorful sauce until tender and soft.
Once the soy-free eggplant is finished cooking serve over rice and finish with more green onions and sesame seeds! For the full recipe please visit the recipe card below.
Why we love this sticky eggplant dish
- It’s plant-based and loaded with flavor
- It’s gluten-free and soy-free
- Eggplant has a unique and delicious meaty texture which makes it perfect for a meatless alternative
- It’s healthier and tastier than takeout Asian food- for real it’s so good!
- It’s an easy no-fuss weeknight recipe
- Versatile! Simply add a protein and grain for a well-balanced meal
- It stores great as leftovers and continues to taste better the next day!
Looking for more meatless meals? Check out these family-friendly options.
PrintSticky Eggplant (Vegan & Soy-free)
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 25
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: One Pot
- Cuisine: Asian
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This soy-free Asian-inspired stir fry will be your new favorite! Sticky Eggplant with roasted cashews served over rice is a quick, easy, gluten-free dinner option!
Ingredients
- 1 medium eggplant
- 2 teaspoon ginger, freshly grated
- 2 teaspoon garlic, minced
- 4 green onions, chopped
- 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
- 1/4 cup sesame oil, seperated
- 1/3 cup coconut aminos
- 2 1/2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon molasses
- 2/3 cup cashews, whole unroasted
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon sriracha
- 1 cup sliced bell pepper
- 2 cups green beans, frozen
- rice
Instructions
- First, wash and slice the eggplant and bell peppers and set them aside.
- In a large wok or pan heat 2 tablespoons of sesame oil, green onions, and cashews over medium heat to pan fry. Once, aromatic add minced ginger and reduce the heat slightly.
- Then add in sliced bell peppers and minced garlic and cook those down for a minute or two.
- Next, add frozen green beans, 2 tablespoons of sesame oil, coconut aminos, rice wine vinegar, black pepper, brown sugar, sesame seeds, molasses, and sriracha sauce. Stir well and then add in chopped eggplant pieces. Stir to evenly coat the eggplant and then cover the pan with a lid to cook.
- Cook the eggplant for 15-20 minutes or until soft, but still in solid pieces.
- While the eggplant cooks prepare the rice according to the package if desired. I prefer to make rice in the Instantpot using a 1:2 ratio with water. Ex: 1 cup of rice to 2 cups of water. Rinse the rice with water until the water is almost clear. Then add 2x the amount of water to rice and press the rice/grain setting on the Instantpot. Release the pressure when done, scoop, and enjoy!
- When the eggplant is done cooking, dish out a serving of rice and top with sticky eggplant stir fry. Garnish with more green onions and sesame seeds if desired and enjoy!
Notes
- Option to change out rice for quinoa or your preferred grain!
- Add a protein source if desired!
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 3/4 cup with out rice
- Calories: 250
Keywords: stir fry, eggplant, sesame seed, 30 minute meal, easy recipe, fried eggplant, rice bowl
Leave a Reply