Thai Makuea Yao Pad Tao Jiaw
Stir-Fried Eggplant in Soybean Paste
Eggplant is and remains my favorite vegetable. That’s why I’m always looking for recipes to use it in Thai cuisine. I was very pleased when I came across this
recipe for Thai stir-fried eggplant in soybean paste. I would like to share this simple vegetarian dish called Makuea Yao Pad Tao Jiaw
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Ingredients for two servings
- 3 small elongated eggplants (400g / 14 oz)
- 2 cloves garlic
- 3-4 stems Horapa basil (“Thai Sweet Basil”)
- 2 tbsp
Tao Jiaw (yellow bean paste) - 1 tbsp thin light soy sauce
- ½ tsp palm sugar or brown sugar
- 2 tbsp water
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
Preparation
First, wash the eggplants and cut them into bite-sized diagonal pieces. Then put water in a pot and bring it to a boil.
In the meantime, peel and finely chop the garlic. Then pluck the leaves of the Thai basil from the stems and set aside. Finally, mix the soybean paste with the soy sauce and some water and dissolve the sugar in it.
As soon as the water boils, cook the sliced eggplants in it for two to three minutes until they start to soften. Then pour the eggplants into a colander and let them drain well.
Heat the oil in a wok or large pan and fry the garlic in it. As soon as it releases its aroma, add the eggplants and stir-fry them constantly for one to two minutes.
Then deglaze the eggplants with the prepared sauce and mix everything well. As soon as the sauce starts to boil, let it simmer for another one to two minutes, then turn off the stove and remove the wok from the heat.
Now add the Thai basil leaves and mix them with the eggplants. Like with tea, let everything steep briefly so that the aroma of the basil can infuse into the dish.
Finally, serve the finished Makuea Yao Pad Tao Jiaw piping hot with jasmine rice.
