18 Jan 2018
58 Comments
I was so happy to hear from some of you who requested moreExtra (Ap)petite recipes! I’d love to share more easy and flavorful favorites, along with tips on how to make them a little healthier. I admit, today’s dish is one I hesitated to post, since the resulting brown color is not the most photogenic. But we all know some of the better-tasting foods are not always Instagram-worthy! And this dish tastes even better inthe summer when we grow our own eggplant, Thai basil, and hot chilis in our garden … but for now, you can find most of the ingredients at an Asian grocery store.
When I first had this at a Thai restaurant, I was hooked by the flavorful blend of salty, sweet, and spicy with the fragrant aroma of Thai basil. However, it came literally drenched in oil. Eggplant itself is nutritious, but in restaurants it’s usually fried (which preserves the purple color), or masked in thick breading. The way my mom taught me to cook it uses minimal oil, but you do lose the pretty color.
I’m all about customizable recipes, so here’s some potential adjustments to suit your liking. We use ground turkey, but you can also try ground or sliced chicken, ground pork, tofu cubes, or simply the eggplant alone (skip to the bottom of this post for modified instructions)! Vegetarians can experiment with more soy sauce and sugar instead of fish sauce, although this is a staple in most Thai dishes. I always use the long skinny Asian eggplants, but if necessary you could perhaps try regular eggplant – I’d peel the skin on those since it’s thicker. The only ingredient I wouldn’t omit is Thai basil, since it has such a unique flavor and aroma.
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5 from 5 votes
EXTRA (AP)PETITE: FLAVORFUL THAI BASIL EGGPLANT RECIPE
Ingredients
- 1 lb Asian eggplant ~3 large ones
- 1/2 lb ground turkey
- 3 large cloves garlic minced
- 1-3 hot peppers* depending on your spice level sliced (avoid touching seeds with bare hands)
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce **
- 1 tablespoon light soy sauce ** not the same as regular or low-sodium soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1/3 cup hot water more if needed
- 1 large handful Thai basil leaves roughly chopped
- * I’ve tried jalapeños for milder heat or birds-eye chilis as shown here which are pretty spicy
- ** I like Squid brand fish sauce and “light superior soy sauce” by the brand pictured (not sure of the name in English!)
Instructions
Prepare a large bowl of cold water mixed with a spoonful of salt (I’m using a strainer bowl below). A salt water bath will keep your eggplant from browning right away, and will rinse away some excess bitterness. Cut eggplant into evenly-sized, approx. 1 inch sticks and place immediately into the salt water. Chop your garlic, chilis, Thai basil, and get other ingredients in place while the eggplant soaks.
Pour 1 cup water into a frying pan on medium heat and wait for it to simmer.
Drain the eggplant of salt water, which will be a little brown. Rinse the eggplant off with more cold water and drain again. If you’re in a hurry and don’t care about excess brown color (I usually don’t), then you can skip the soaking & rinsing in Steps 1 & 3!
When the water in the pan comes to a gentle boil, add the eggplant and cover with a lid. Let it steam, covered, for about 3 minutes until partially cooked and semi softened. We will finish cooking it with all the other ingredients, but this quick steam helps it cook more evenly with no oil! The eggplant will start to lose its purple color as it cooks and softens.
Remove eggplant with a slotted spoon into a separate bowl. Save about half a cup of the hot water into a measuring cup, and pour out the rest.
Combine fish sauce and soy sauce in a small bowl. I wouldn’t do this too far in advance, because fish sauce is incredibly pungent on its own! (most of the strong smell cooks away into saltiness) Add some cooking oil to your pan, and lightly brown your meat with a rough spoonful of the fish/soy sauce mixture.
When the meat is almost cooked, sauté in the garlic and chilis for a minute.
Gently stir the partially-cooked eggplant in along with the sugar, the rest of the fish / soy sauce mixture, and about 1/3 to 1/2 cup hot water. The amount of hot water depends on how saucy you want the dish and how much water stayed on your steamed eggplant. Cook until the eggplant is tender (try one), being careful not to overcook as it’ll become mushy!
Stir in Thai basil, quickly remove the pan from heat, and serve. Basil loses it’s flavor when cooked, so add it in right before you’re ready to eat!
Notes
If you are skipping the meat/protein, this dish becomes a lot simpler! Follow steps 1 and 3 above (but not 2) to soak and drain the eggplant. Start cooking by lightly sautéing the garlic and chilis in a little oil over medium heat.
Stir in all the uncooked eggplant, sugar, fish & soy sauce until combined and cook for another minute. Add about 3/4 cup hot water, cover with a lid to “steam” for ~ 3 minutes. Remove lid and continue cooking until eggplant is done – careful not to overcook! Finish with Thai basil.
Ann Taylor blouse xxsp c/o + necklace c/o, Williams Sonoma lemon apron
Anolon nonstick frying pans (love these)
Let me know if you give this a try! I’d also love to hear any variations on this or how you prepare eggplant!
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58 Comments
Fion wrote:
Wow, this tastes amazing and it’s healthy! Thank you for the recipe Jean! The instructions were very easy to follow. I would love to see more recipes from you! Love you Jean and congrats on the baby! 🙂
Posted 5.23.18Reply
gin wrote:
just made it two days in a row because it was so tasty and healthy 🙂 second time i added sliced onion/scallions as well as green onion to the dish because i just love sauteed onions. it gave it some extra texture and flavour. agree on adding slightly more soy sauce as well. thanks so much for sharing. love the blog.
Posted 3.15.18Reply
Daisy wrote:
That light soy sauce is Pearl River Bridge brand! Love it!
Posted 2.16.18Reply
Nikki wrote:
Jean – I made this tonight and it is absolutely wonderful. We enjoy spicy food so I used the 3 birds-eye chilies and was perfect! For those that don’t enjoy heat, definitely will want to reduce that. Only thing I did differently was I added two shredded bok choys – whites were steamed along with the eggplant and the greens were added along with the Thai basil. It added some great nutrition, some beautiful color and bulked the meal up even more! Only other thing I considered for next time is maybe tightening up the leftover sauce with some cornstarch. Really fab recipe that we’ll definitely make over and over again. Thank you!
Posted 2.12.18Reply
Susan wrote:
Thank you for sharing this recipe! I tried it and it’s fantastic!! Please share more like this in the future!! 😀
Posted 2.11.18Reply
Pat wrote:
Delicious recipe; I tried it out and added some cashews and mushrooms that I head left.
See AlsoCaramel Apple Pie Bombs : 5 Ingredient Breakfast RecipePerfect Lemon Cupcakes Recipe! - Crazy for CrustOut of this World Carrot Cake Recipe with Callie's Cream Cheese FrostingMini Baileys Chocolate Cheesecakes | Easy Mini Cheesecakes RecipePosted 2.1.18Reply
Bin wrote:
Just tried this recipe tonight, the flavors are on point and it’ll make it into our weeknight meal rotations! More please!! Thank you!
Posted 1.29.18Reply
Linna wrote:
Thank you for posting this, Jean! I just made it for lunch and because I like more heat, I used 7 of the Thai bird chilis. I also added more soy sauce because I prefer a little more flavor. Thanks for sharing the part especially about preparing the eggplant; using water instead of oil is so much healthier.
Posted 1.28.18Reply
Sara wrote:
Love the recipe!
FYI: I found your twin. You look a lot like Stephanie Cheng, and she is a Hong Kong singer.
Posted 1.24.18Reply
Nicola wrote:
Recipe sounds delicious, a must-try. What I found adorable is that you have changed your tag to “Extra Ap-Petite” for recipes – so cute! x
Posted 1.23.18Reply
Sincerely Ophelia wrote:
Aw, the pun is seriously adorable. I love eggplant and thai food. The recipe seems delicious!
XOXO //
SINCERELY OPHELIAPosted 1.22.18Reply
Elizabeth wrote:
This looks soooo good! <3 🙂 Thank you so much for sharing all of this great recipe, Jean! Can't wait to try it!
XO, Elizabeth
http://clothestoyouuu.com/Posted 1.21.18Reply
Eunice wrote:
Thanks so much for the recipe! I made this today with regular eggplant (peeled the skin per your instructions) and it turned out PERFECTLY. I’m so glad I found another way to prepare eggplant!
Posted 1.21.18Reply
Jean | Extra Petite wrote:
I’m thrilled to hear that! The Asian ones aren’t always accessible so I’m excited to know that the rounded ones worked for you, too.
Posted 1.22.18Reply
Nancy wrote:
Which Asian grocery store do you recommend in Boston? As an aside, Id love to see another guide to Boston listing out you similar spots! I always reference your old one but maybe it could use a refresh 🙂 thanks!!
Posted 1.21.18Reply
Jean | Extra Petite wrote:
Hi Nancy,
I usually go to The New York Mart in the south end by the Wholefoods but I think I prefer Super 88 in Allston if that’s closer to you! I usually avoid buying meat at any of the Asian grocery stores though, unless it’s something like soup bones that I can only find there!Posted 1.22.18Reply
Kristin wrote:
Couldn’t be more thrilled that you posted this! Been threatening to hunt down a recipe for this dish for ages since it isn’t on the menu at any of our local Thai places. (And I’m big on healthy modifications.) I always seek it out when traveling, especially in my visits to San Fran, as I’ve found at least one spot that’s not so heavy handed with the oil. Thanks so much for posting!
Posted 1.21.18Reply
Jean | Extra Petite wrote:
Hi Kristin, I don’t know if it’ll measure up to the restaurant versions but hopefully will come close (and be a lot lighter)! Let me know if you give it a try and any modifications you make!
Posted 1.22.18Reply
Jen wrote:
That’s not Thai holy basil. You should do some research before giving out false info.
Posted 1.21.18Reply
Jean | Extra Petite wrote:
I never said I was using “holy basil.”
Posted 1.22.18Reply
Doreen's Style Diary wrote:
This recipe looks delicious and healthy. I add mine to a mixed vegetable sour soup dish which is a popular Burmese dish. It’s so good.
Posted 1.21.18Reply
Jean | Extra Petite wrote:
That sounds delicious!
Posted 1.22.18Reply
Maria wrote:
I love how you are putting a healthy(ish) twist to asian dishes. Thank you so much for sharing! My husband is Thai and he’s usually the cook when it comes to dinner, but I definitely will try this!
Posted 1.20.18Reply
Jean | Extra Petite wrote:
Lucky you, Maria! : )
Posted 1.22.18Reply
samantha wrote:
What a delicious meal! And so super healthy too!
X
Samantha
http://www.thenewyorkblonde.comPosted 1.20.18Reply
Mizeats wrote:
I love Thai food so this recipe sounds very delicious, Jean! And it’s a healthier version! Yum! Have you ever tried tortang talong with beef giniling (eggplant omelette with ground beef) ? It requires only a few ingredients but it’s so tasty 😃 Like your recipe, you can change up the recipe if desired.
Posted 1.20.18Reply
Jean | Extra Petite wrote:
I hadn’t heard of that dish before! Just looked it up and it looks so interesting. Thanks for sharing!
Posted 1.22.18Reply
Anonymous wrote:
If you’re curious, the Chinese version of this dish is “Fish Fragrant Eggplant” (鱼香茄子) and it’s called that even though there are no ingredients using fish or fish sauce. Most recipes typically use ground pork instead of ground turkey, but it leaves out the Thai basil (which is the point of your recipe). Either way, yours sounds good too! (Love basil, but I’d be making it without the fish sauce because that stuff is… pungent. Haha) Also, I have a feeling that if you grilled the eggplant in the oven (or used your air fryer?), you might be able to keep some of the purple color of the skin. Let us know if you try that!
Posted 1.20.18Reply
Jean | Extra Petite wrote:
I love Yu Xiang Qie Zi! At some Boston restaurants they actually make it with ground pork plus little pieces of salted fish (surprisingly true to its name) – it’s yummy but smells even more strong than fish sauce haha.
I did try the air fryer in a day of eggplant experimentation and unfortunately it became brown even after a minute or two, but grilling might fare better!
Posted 1.22.18Reply
Jennifer wrote:
Wow! Looks delicious. I have to test this recipe out myself. Thanks for sharing! 🙂
Posted 1.20.18Reply
Maureen wrote:
Thai basil is a favorite of ours. It’s our go to when I or hubby have no time to cook. Your recipe looks easy and regardless of not being picture pretty looks mighty delicious. 😀 I’ll have to try this and let you know how it worked out.
Maureen | http://www.littlemisscasual.com
Posted 1.19.18Reply
Phoebe wrote:
Eggplants are one of my favourites but getting it to taste good can be a little tricky! Love this dish & your recipe. I usually use coriander/cilantro but basil is a nice substitute! ~~yummmm
Posted 1.19.18Reply
Jean | Extra Petite wrote:
Yum! I love cilantro and use it in a slightly different Chinese version of this dish!
Posted 1.22.18Reply
Jandrew wrote:
Hey Jean , I’m excited to see this recipe . I go to the market and see these Asian eggplants and have never tried them . Now I have a recipe , not being the greatest chef , wish me luck !
Jandrew
Dress The Part
http://jandrewspeaks.comPosted 1.19.18Reply
Petite Teacher wrote:
Hi Jean. I have never realised how funny the title of your cooking posts is. Absolutely fantastic wordplay. As for the recipe: My son has just returned from Thailand and is highly enthusiastic about the food he had there. I have got a great idea to spoil him thanks to you. Have a great weekend. Love, Lieske
Posted 1.19.18Reply
Jean | Extra Petite wrote:
Wow, I’m envious of his Asian travels! I can’t imagine all the flavorful food there!
Posted 1.20.18Reply
bluewisteria wrote:
Thanks Jean for this great post! I’ve been looking for a colander/strainer bowl like the one you have in your pictures. Where did you get this? Thank you.
Posted 1.19.18Reply
Jean | Extra Petite wrote:
Hi there! It’s called the Art + Cook strainer bowl (3.5 qt) and I got it on Amazon. It’s not always available but I saw another alternative that I like which is a strainer that sits in a washer bowl:
Posted 1.20.18Reply
Chelsea wrote:
I have a “regular” eggplant in the fridge and would love to try this recipe over the weekend. Do you think that would work, or is it important to use the skinnier Asian eggplants?
Posted 1.19.18Reply
Jean | Extra Petite wrote:
Hi Chelsea,
Honestly I have never tried cooking with regular eggplant before! So I can’t speak to the differences in texture and flavor. I did comb some recipes online calling for Asian eggplant and did see ppl who subbed in regular and peeled the skin. If you give it a try, let me know if it works with this cooking method!Posted 1.20.18Reply
Alexa M Johnson wrote:
I have to try this! I don’t like eggplant but I would definitely eat this!
Posted 1.19.18Reply
Michael @ Mile in My Glasses wrote:
OMG, this looks and sounds so delicious Jean! I’m definitely going to have to give this one a try I think!
Happy Friday!
Michael
https://www.mileinmyglasses.comPosted 1.19.18Reply
Rena wrote:
This looks so yummy that I must try it out!
xx Rena
http://www.dressedwithsoul.comPosted 1.19.18Reply
La Bijoux Bella | by mia wrote:
I love ❤️ love eggplant 🍆 … this recipe looks so delicious. I would try it in a heart beat! 👍🏼💗👍🏼 Merci for the recipe.
Posted 1.19.18Reply
karan wrote:
Sounds delicious! Would love a hair tutorial on this high bun!
Posted 1.18.18Reply
Jean | Extra Petite wrote:
Hi Karen! I used the same steps and tools as from this old tutorial : )
http://www.extrapetite.com/2016/02/hair-tutorial-easy-topknot-high-bun.htmlIt just comes out looking a little different each time!
Posted 1.20.18Reply
Thu wrote:
I love this dish but often I find that the restaurants are too heavy handed with the oil. This looks delicious & healthy, yet simple to make. Thank you for posting and keep the recipes coming!
Posted 1.18.18Reply
Jean | Extra Petite wrote:
Thanks, Thu! Let me know if you give it a try and any adjustments you might make!
Posted 1.20.18Reply
This looks like something my Mum used to always make. Sounds so delicious! ❤️❤️
Posted 1.18.18Reply
Kay Nguyen wrote:
This looks so good, I will have to try it out! Thanks for sharing <3
Posted 1.18.18Reply
Jae wrote:
I love eggplants and this sounds like a great recipe!
http://www.allthatjae.comPosted 1.18.18Reply
