Here is one of the dishes I cooked at our Cooking Demonstrations at the 2016 Tasmanian Garlic & Tomato Festival. It received an enthusiastic round of applause! This is a deliciously different Thai stir-fry dish using seasonally available cherry tomatoes, garlic, eggplant and fragrant Thai Basil, which I grow together with Italian Genovese Basil. They get along together just fine. I love cooking this dish when we entertain Thai-style. It is quick and easy and can accompany a Thai barbeque which I teach in one of my Thai Cooking Classes. Enjoy this exotic, seasonal and healthy flavour combination as a main vegetarian dish or side dish. A cold Thai beer such as Singha which is available locally or a chilled Sauvignon Blanc, medium-sweet Riesling, Gewurztraminer or Rosé is a great accompaniment to this dish. Sylvia xx
INGREDIENTS
200-250g eggplant cut into 1cm thick slices then each slice into quarters
200g whole cherry tomatoes or medium tomatoes cut in quarters
1-1 ½ teaspoons finely chopped garlic
1-1 ½ teaspoons finely chopped ginger
1-2 small red chilli, seeds removed and finely chopped (about ¼ teaspoon)
Sunflower oil
1 ½ Tablespoons fish sauce (use light soy sauce as vegetarian alternative)
3-4 teaspoons grated palm sugar OR 2 teaspoons raw caster sugar
1 ½ Tablespoons water
Handful of Thai basil leaves torn and extra whole sprigs or leaves for garnish
METHOD
- In a small bowl mix together the fish or soy sauce, sugar and water. Set aside.
- Heat oil in a wok. Add the eggplant. Stir-fry to cook and colour light brown. Remove and set aside.
- Heat about a tablespoon of oil in the wok. Add the garlic, ginger and chilli. Quickly stir-fry. Allow to cook to golden brown.
- Add the tomatoes. Stir-fry and cook.
- Return the cooked eggplant to the wok. Stir-fry.
- Add the fish sauce/soy sauce mixture. Stir-fry and cook.
- Add the Thai basil leaves. Stir-fry and cook. Let the sauce bubble until it reduces a little.
- Place in a serving bowl and garnish with extra Thai basil sprigs or leaves.
- Serve this delicious stir-fry as a main dish or vegetable side dish with steamed Jasmine rice.
Happy Cooking! Sanuk!
Did you know? The herbal oils in Basil aid digestion.
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