This year I planted what I thought was an eggplant and only saw these small round green vegetables growing. I kept waiting for them to turn purple like any respectable eggplant does, but they never did. The other day I researched these adorable green balls and discovered they are Thai Eggplants. The write up said they are very sweet and delicious so I whipped up this quick stir fry and served it over rice. I am totally in love with this vegetable and wanted to share it with you. Of course, preparation is minimal and the resulting dish is high in vitamins, low in calories and great of flavor. If you make the dish and customize it to suit your tastes, be sure to share your variation. The moral of this story is “don’t be afraid to pick up and experiment with a new vegetable you discover at the farmer’s market, at your grocery store, or even in your own garden.”
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced optional
- 12 Thai eggplant, cut in 1/8 inch cubes
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes optional
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons white vinegar
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 20 leaves fresh basil extra leaves for garnish
- Before starting the stir fry, prepare the vegetables and set aside. Dice the red bell peppers after removing the core and the seeds and set aside. Dice the onion and set aside. Remove the skin of the ginger, mince and set aside. Wash eggplant and remove the top and bottom, cut into 1/8th inch cubes.
- Add the oil to a medium heavy skillet or wok and heat over a medium high heat. Add the peppers and onions and cook for 3 minutes or until tender, stirring often. Add the eggplant, ginger, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper. Combine and cook for another 3 minutes.
- Lower to low heat and add garlic; combine. Add the soy sauce, vinegar and brown sugar, stir to combine. Remove from heat and fold in the basil. Transfer to a platter and garnish with additional basil leaves. Serve over white or brown rice, if desired.