Spicy, Garlicky Eggplant and Bamboo Shoots
By: Melody Fury
Published: Saturday, January 9, 2010 - 12:24am

Ingredients




9 baby eggplants or 1 regular eggplant cut into bite-sized pieces
1 large bamboo shoot cut into bite-sized pieces
1 medium onion, quartered and sliced
1 bunch green onions, sliced thin
4 servings of pre-blanched rice noodles
1/2 cup rice wine or sake
Aromatics: 1 knob of ginger, peeled and minced
1 handful of garlic cloves, chopped fine
2 chilies, deseeded and minced
cup Sauce: ¼  soy bean paste of choice (Chinese bean paste, 
1/4 cup black Chinese vinegar (or Balsamic)
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon brown sugar

Preparation

1 In a pot, sauté the onion with a pinch of salt over medium-low heat until deeply caramelized. Deglaze with the rice wine.  Add the aromatics and cook for 1 minute. 2 Add the sauce, eggplant, and bamboo shoots to the pot and stir to combine.Cover with a lid and continue to cook over medium-low heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.   3 When vegetables are tender, toss in the noodles and gently heat through. Add some water if necessary. 4 Top with green onions and chili.

About


Personally, comfort food must be as comfortable to prepare as it is to consume. My ideal dish is: simple, readily available, warm, flavorful, filling, and requires little preparation and clean-up.
After an exhausting workday last week, I really needed something to warm my tummy up. Within 20 minutes, I threw together this one-pot meal that definitely hit the spot.