While Jill eats meat she owns and operates mana, an all-vegetarian restaurant. This meat-free spicy dish is a regular item on her menu.
Ingredients
- 1 medium eggplant, diced
- ½ cup olive oil
- ½ cup hoisin sauce
- ¾ cup sambal chili paste
- 2 tablespoons Chinese black beans, rinsed
- 1 teaspoon ground Sichuan peppercorns
- 12 ounces diced tofu
- Kosher salt, to taste
- 2 cups cooked hot rice
- Sliced green onions, to garnish
How to Make It
- In a sauté pan over high heat, working in batches, brown the eggplant in olive oil, uncovered, about 3–5 minutes. Stir to keep moving, so it browns evenly and does not burn. Add oil as needed. When all eggplant is cooked, add it all back to pan, add hoisin, mix thoroughly, and then add sambal, black beans, and ground peppercorns.
- Add diced tofu and heat thoroughly. Taste for salt, sweetness, and heat; all flavors should stand out. Adjust seasoning if necessary. Serve over rice and garnish with green onions.
