Vegan Mabo Nasu (Mapo Eggplant 麻婆茄子)
Vegan Mabo Nasu (Mapo Eggplant) — a Japanese eggplant stir fry simmered with vegan mince, miso, and doubanjiang. Saucy, spicy, and perfect over rice.
Servings: 2
Calories: 712kcal
Equipment
- Large frying pan
- Mixing bowl
- colander
- Sharp knife
- Cutting board
- Wooden spoon or spatula
- Measuring jug
- Cooking chopsticks or tongs for turning the eggplants in the pan
Ingredients
Main
- 300 g eggplant Japanese or Italian
- 2 green onions scallions, sliced
- 1 heaping teaspoon ginger minced
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 2 tablespoon cornstarch for coating the eggplant
- 100 ml neutral oil for frying eggplant
- 20 ml toasted sesame oil for stir-frying
- 125 g vegan mince soy, Quorn, or other plant-based
Seasoning & Sauce
- 15 ml sake
- 2 teaspoon doubanjiang spicy chili bean paste, adjust to taste
- 240 ml vegetable stock (stock cube in hot water is fine just dilute according to packet instructions)
- 1 teaspoon white (shiro) miso
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 10 ml soy sauce basic kikoman is fine
- 10 ml rice vinegar unseasoned
Cornstarch mixture (for thickening)
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 40 ml water
Instructions
- Trim, halve, and cut into wedges about 2–3 cm thick. Layer in a colander with salt for 15 minutes to draw out moisture.
- Mince the ginger, slice garlic into thin discs, and cut spring onions into rounds. Separate the whites (for cooking) from the greens (for garnish).
- Now thoroughly rinse the salt off your eggplant and pat dry. Toss eggplant wedges in cornstarch until lightly coated.
- Heat neutral oil over medium heat. Fry eggplant until golden on all sides. Work in batches if needed. Remove and set aside.
- In the same pan, heat sesame oil. Sauté garlic and ginger until fragrant, then add vegan mince and cook until glossy.
- Add spring onion whites, miso, doubanjiang, sugar, and soy sauce. Fry 1 minute. Pour in stock and bring to a simmer. Adjust seasoning to taste.
- Mix 1 tablespoon cornstarch with 40 ml water. Return eggplant to the pan and fold into the sauce so partly submerged.
- Stir in the cornstarch mixture and simmer until thickened. Add rice vinegar, then garnish with spring onion greens.
- Spoon over hot Japanese rice and enjoy.
Video
Notes
This makes 2 servings as a main or 4 as a side.
How to cook perfect rice (without a rice cooker)
White miso paste is preferred as it has a sweeter milder taste. You can use red but perhaps halve the quantity prevent overpowering the dish.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 serve | Calories: 712kcal | Carbohydrates: 34g | Protein: 14g | Fat: 58g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 8g | Monounsaturated Fat: 43g | Trans Fat: 0.03g | Sodium: 1266mg | Potassium: 530mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 411IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 32mg | Iron: 4mg
