Thai Eggplant with Broccoli
(adapted from “Eggplant with Chicken” in Keo’s Thai Cuisine (1986))

3/4 pound Japanese eggplant
1 small bunch broccoli or 3-4 baby bok choi
6 Tbls oil
1-2 tsp chili paste with garlic (I like Lan Chi brand)
10-15 Thai basil leaves
1-3 Tbls yellow bean sauce

Thai Sweet Sticky Rice

Slice unpeeled eggplant crosswise into thin slices (1/8 to 1/4 inch thick). Separate broccoli into flowerettes and/or spears. Peel and chop the tender part of the broccoli stalk if desired. If using bok choi, separate the leaves and rinse. Chop any large leaves into bite-sized pieces.

Heat oil over medium-high heat in wok. Add chili paste with garlic. (Careful, it will splatter.) Add eggplant and cook for 3-4 minutes, getting all the slices coated with the oil/chili paste. Add broccoli or bok choi, stir to coat. Cover and cook/steam for 5-7 minutes. Add yellow bean sauce, stir to coat. Just before serving (when all the vegetables are cooked) add basil leaves. Serve immediately over Thai Sweet Sticky Rice. Makes 3-4 servings.

Notes

• The original version of this dish used 1/3 pound boneless chicken breast, thinly sliced, cooked with the eggplant (rather than the broccoli). It also used crushed garlic and red chili peppers instead of chili paste, but it was difficult to avoid burning the garlic, thus my substitution of chili paste with garlic.
• This dish works well with Evil Jungle Prince with Chicken.

Copyright © 2008, Lucinda DeWitt