Thai Basil Eggplant

Basil is my favorite herb and maybe a reason I love Thai food so much. The soups, curries, and stir-fries taste amazingly different with just few handfuls of sweet basil. This recipe is super easy and cooks in very little time. Serve with freshly cooked jasmine or basmati rice.

• Preparation Time: 10 mins
• Cooking Time: 15 mins
• Total Time: 25 mins
• Calories: 157 Calories

Ingredients

• ½ cup water
• 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
• salt to taste
• ½ teaspoon white sugar
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon dark soy sauce
• 1 Thai chile pepper, or more to taste
• 3 Chinese eggplants, cut into 1-inch cubes, or more to taste
• 1 cup fresh basil leaves, roughly chopped

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Heat oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Add chile and garlic; cook and stir until garlic is golden, about 1 minute. Add eggplants to the fragrant garlic oil. Stir in water and cover. Cook, stirring every few minutes, until eggplants soften, 5 to 8 minutes.

Step 2

Uncover and stir in soy sauce, sugar, and salt. Stir well and continue cooking until all the water has evaporated and eggplant is coated with sauce, about 5 minutes. Add basil leaves and stir once; remove from heat.