SPICY SWEET-N-SOUR EGGPLANT STIR-FRY

Spicy, sweet, and sour all wrapped up into one dish spells delicious.  Combine that deliciousness in a stir-fry and I am all in!  The family definitely gave 2-thumbs up!

Many stir-frys call for tofu, this stir-fry inspired and adapted from the Forks Over Knives cookbook uses Eggplant.   I am personally not a fan of Tofu, but using Eggplant in this stir-fry gives this dish a unique and tasty flavor.   Feel free to use any veggies you have on hand, the sauce is the magic!

All whole plant-based food ingredients.  Using a frozen bag of Sugar Snap Peas Stir-Fry makes it easy to add veggies without the need to do a lot of chopping. Coconut Aminos is a perfect replacement for soy sauce because it has less sodium content.  Arrowroot powder is a plant-based thickener, perfect for gravies and can be purchased from Amazon.

So the next time you want something sweet, spicy,  and sour – look no further.  This will be the perfect dish served over some Basmati brown rice or rice of your choice!

Watch “How To” Video:

SPICY SWEET-N-SOUR EGGPLANT STIR-FRY

Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 15 mins
Total Time 25 mins
Servings 4 servings

Ingredients
  

Sweet and Sour Sauce

  • 4 large Medjool Dates, pitted and chopped
  • 8 oz can Crushed Pineapples, in juice not syrup (do not drain)
  • 1/4 cup Apple Cider Vinegar, Raw, Unfiltered
  • 1/3 cup Coconut Aminos (or low sodium Tamari)
  • 2 large Garlic Cloves
  • 1/4 cup Pineapple Juice (from 20 oz can of Pineapples below)
  • 1 1/2 tsp Ground Ginger
  • 2 Tbsp Arrowroot Powder

Stir-Fry Ingredients

  • 1 large Yellow Onion, Chopped
  • 1 cup White Button Mushrooms, sliced
  • 20 oz bag Frozen Sugar Snap Pea Stir-Fry
  • 1 lb Eggplant, chopped
  • 4 large Garlic Cloves, finely chopped (about 1 Tbsp)
  • 1/4 tsp Chipotle Pepper
  • 20 oz can Pineapple Chunks, in juice not syrup (drained and reserve juice; set aside 1/4 cup to be used in sauce above; use remaining to stir-fry the veggies)
  • to taste Red Pepper Flakes (optional)
  • 4 tsp Cashews, unsalted (optional)

Instructions
 

Sweet and Sour Sauce

  • Remove the pits from the Medjool dates. Add to a high-speed blender with all remaining sauce ingredients. Blend until completely smooth. Set aside. NOTE: Be sure to add the juice from the crushed pineapples and 1/4 cup pineapple juice from the 20oz can of pineapple chunks.

Stir-Fry

  • Chop the onions and mince the garlic cloves. Drain the pineapple chunks and reserve the juice.
  • Add all of the chopped and frozen veggies to a large non-stick pan. Add the chipotle pepper. Add 1/4 cup of the reserved pineapple juice to the pan. Sautee the veggies on medium-high heat until tender. Cook covered stirring frequently until veggies are tender and the liquid is evaporated (about 12 minutes).
  • Add in the drained pineapple chunks to the stir-fry. Give a quick stir thru. Add the prepared sweet and sour sauce. Give a good stir thru. Continue to cook for another 3 minutes until sauce thickens. Remove from heat.
  • Serve over preferred brown rice. Garnish with red pepper flakes and cashews. Enjoy!

Notes

NOTE:  Prepare brown rice of choice per package instructions.  Preparing rice in an instant pot expedites time. 
INSTANT POT instructions for brown rice:  1 cup brown rice rinsed and drained and 1 cup of water.  Cook on "Manual" mode for 22 minutes with 10-minute natural release.  Remove lid, fluff rice with a fork and serve.  Leftover rice can be stored in a tightly sealed glass jar for up to a couple of weeks.
Keyword Eggplant
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