Chinese Szechuan Mapo Eggplant (Vegan)
Satisfyingly spicy and numbing, this Mapo Eggplant is perfect enjoyed over steamed rice. Instead of the usual tofu, I used Chinese eggplants and TVP or textured vegetable protein instead of meat. You can also opt to use other plant-based ground meat substitutes or even diced mushrooms for this easy yet really savoury and tasty meal.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup dry TVP (texturised vegetable protein) makes 1 cup rehydrated (see notes for subs)
- 4 pieces Chinese eggplants or other eggplant (500g total)
- 1 tbsp neutral oil
- 1 tsp ground szechuan peppercorns I simply process my whole peppercorns and store ground pepper in a jar
- 1 tsp minced ginger
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1/2 small onion diced
- 2 tbsp chopped scallions or green onions
- 1 tbsp shaoxing wine or other rice wine
- 1 tbsp spicy broad bean paste or doubanjiang
- 1 tbsp black bean garlic sauce or fermented black beans
- 1 1/4 cup water
- 1/2 to 1 tbsp chili garlic sauce or chili oil, optional/adjust according to desired spice, homemade recipe here
- 1 tbsp sugar
- Salt to taste, if needed
Cornstarch slurry
- 1 tbsp corn starch
- 2 tbsp room temp water
To Serve
- Chopped green onions or scallions for garnish
- Steamed rice
Instructions
- See step-by-step photos in the post above.If using TVP, place it in a bowl and pour boiling hot water. Leave to rehydrate for 5 minutes then drain the water.
- Slice the eggplants, slightly on a bias, into 1” long pieces. Set aside.
- Heat a large wok or pan over medium heat. Add in the oil. Once hot, add in the szechuan pepper and.
- Add in the ginger, garlic, onion, and green onions. Sauté for 2-3 minutes over medium heat in the pepper and oil mix. Add in the rehydrated TVP, vegan mince, or mushrooms. Turn up the heat and add in the wine. Leave to cook for 2-3 minutes until the wine has evaporated.
- Add in the broad bean paste and black bean sauce. Mix and cook the vegan mince or mushrooms for 3-4 minutes until it’s well incorporated in the sauce.
- Add in the eggplants and pour in the water. Leave to cook over medium high heat until the eggplants cook down and are tender to your liking. Add in the chili garlic sauce, sugar, and salt (if needed). Note that you can adjust the salt and not add any if the sauce is already salty from the black beans.
- Mix the cornstarch and water together in a small bowl. Carefully pour into the eggplant while stirring. Leave to cook for 2-3 more minutes until the sauce has thickened. Turn off the heat. Garnish with some chopped green onions, if desired. Enjoy hot with some rice or noodles.
Notes
PROTEIN
FOR THE TVP, these can be subbed with:- Minced mushrooms of choice (such as shiitake mushrooms or baby bella, etc).
- Other plant-based meat alternative of choice
NUTRITIONAL INFO
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 140kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 1g | Sodium: 148mg | Potassium: 54mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 41IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 66mg | Iron: 2mg
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