Cooking With Rebec Vineyards: Fast & Fragrant Basil Eggplant Stir Fry

Pairs With: Rebec Vineyards Riesling

Fresh basil hits a high note in this beautiful stir fry. This dish whips up quickly and is a great way to use up summer garden produce. This version can be a vegan main dish or you can add a bit of chicken or other meat for a more substantive meal. Serve atop rice or noodles and enjoy with a chilled glass of Rebec Vineyards Riesling.  It’s easy to scale up this recipe and as an extra bonus, the leftovers are great the next day for lunch. 

Serves 2 

Prep Time: 10-15 minutes

Ingredients

*3-4 small or 1 medium eggplant, unpeeled, cut into 1 inch pieces

1 inch piece of ginger, minced

1 garlic clove, minced

½ cup sliced sweet pepper

1 small medium-hot chili pepper, minced (or less, depending upon variety and heat level)

2-3 tablespoons water

½ teaspoon sugar

1 - 2 tablespoons soy sauce

¼ lime squeezed

1 cup fresh basil leaves,stemmed, but  uncut

1 tablespoon neutral oil

Step 1: Assemble all ingredients and have them ready before cooking. In a wok or frying pan, heat the oil and add the ginger, garlic, chili pepper. Stir fry for 30-45 seconds.

Step 2: When fragrance releases, add the eggplant and stir fry for about 3-4 minutes..Add a bit of water, cover  and allow this to steam, covered for a minute or two. Add the green pepper and continue to stir fry for about 1 minute more.

Step 3: Sprinkle the sugar over the mixture and stir fry for 30 seconds. Add the soy sauce and the lime juice. Stir fry for 15-30 seconds.  

Step 4:  Add the basil, stir fry for about 15 seconds. Turn off the heat and continue to stir for about 15 seconds more until the basil is just wilted. Serve over rice or noodles.

*I prefer to use Japanese or small eggplants. For this recipeI used Little Fingers, a Ping Tung, and a Pot Black eggplant. These are not bitter. If you have an Italian style eggplant, you might want to salt and drain it for 30 minutes.

Watch A Garden To Table VIdeo Here Fast & Fragrant Stir Fry

*This recipe is from Rebecca’s kitchen. She is the daughter of Rebec’s founder, Richard Hanson. She’s “The Cook” of the family and loves using the bounty from her extensive organic gardens at her home at Rebec Vineyards.  Follow her on YouTubeMountainViewGardens