Spicy Stir-fried Eggplant
Pad Prik Pao Ma Ku
Eggplant stir-fried in smoky roasted chili paste with garlic and basil
- Prep
- 2 min
- Cook
- 5 min
- Serves
- 4
- Heat
- hot
Nam Prik Pao is usually thought of as a partner to rich, fatty meats, but this dish proves the smoky roasted chili paste works just as well carrying soft, mild eggplant. The eggplant simmers first in a little water until fully soft, then gets built up in layers — soy and oyster sauce first, then the roasted chili paste itself, deglazed with careful splashes of water each time the pan threatens to scorch. That repeated near-burning and rescuing is what concentrates the sauce into something thick and deeply savory, finished with a handful of basil folded in only once the heat is off.
Ingredients
- 8 cups Long green eggplant (cut into bite-sized pieces, held in salted water)
- 4 cups Thai sweet basil (leaves and flower tops)
- 1 Brown or yellow onion, small (cut into pieces)
- 8 Garlic, large cloves (ground with the chili)
- 4 Thai hot chili (ground with the garlic)
- 8 tablespoons Thai roasted chili sauce (nam prik pao)
- 8 tablespoons Oyster sauce
- 8 teaspoons Light soy sauce
- 8 teaspoons Sugar
Directions
- Cut the eggplant into bite-sized pieces and soak in salted water to keep it from browning while you prep everything else. Pick the basil leaves and flower tops.
- Grind the chili and garlic together until well broken up.
- Heat oil in a wok over medium heat. Fry the garlic and chili for about 30 seconds, just until softened — take your time to avoid burning the garlic.
- Drain the eggplant and stir it into the garlic, chili, and oil until well coated. Add a splash of water, stir, and let it boil for about 5 minutes, until the eggplant softens and most of the water evaporates.
- Add the onion, soy sauce, oyster sauce, and sugar. Stir well and let the sauce fry until it turns dry and sticky.
- Stir in the roasted chili sauce and continue frying until the pan looks quite dry, almost ready to burn. Add another splash of water before it scorches.
- Stir the water in, scraping up the sticky bits from the sides of the pan. Cook until the sauce turns smooth and thick.
- Turn off the heat and let cool for a minute, then gently fold in the basil until just wilted.
- Serve immediately with steamed rice as a one-dish meal, or as a vegetable side alongside other foods.
Notes
Add water in small splashes right before the sauce threatens to burn rather than all at once — that's what builds the thick, deeply flavored glaze this dish depends on.
Substitutions
Purple or striped eggplant varieties work just as well as long green eggplant and add a nice pop of color to the finished dish.