Charred Sichuan-Style Eggplant

Name: Charred Sichuan-Style Eggplant
Yield: Serves 2 to 3
Cuisine: Asia, Chinese
Ingredients: ⅓ cup plus 3 tablespoons, vegetable oil, divided; 2 , garlic cloves, sliced thin; 15 , bird chiles, ground fine (1½ tablespoons); 1 (½-inch) piece, fresh ginger, peeled and sliced thin; 1 , star anise pod; ¼ cup, hoisin sauce; ½ cup fermented black, beans; 2 tablespoons plus ¼ cup, Shaoxing Chinese rice wine, divided; 1 tablespoon, sugar; 2 large Japanese, eggplants (1½ pounds), sliced in half lengthwise then cut crosswise into 1½-inch pieces; 1 teaspoon, kosher salt; 1 , green bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and cut into 1-inch pieces; ¼ cup, water; 6 , scallions, green parts cut into 1-inch pieces, white parts sliced thin, divided; 12 sprigs fresh, cilantro, cut into 2-inch pieces

24 comments

Charred eggplant in a spicy, savory vegetarian stir-fry with an assist from your microwave. Seriously.

SERVES2 to 3

TIME1 hour

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS

We all know that eggplant can absorb serious quantities of oil. That’s a negative when the oil in question is flavorless frying oil. But what if we flipped the script and put that sponge effect to work for us by providing the eggplant with ...

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