My Favorite Tofu Stir Fry

The first garden eggplant was ready to be picked, so I decided to make my favorite tofu stir fry.

My favorite tofu stir fry isn't my family's favorite tofu stir fry though.  The Picky Eater likes tofu, but without vegetables.  Even The Adventurous Eater doesn't particularly like eggplant and mushrooms, especially in large pieces.  So this stir fry is technically two stir frys, so that the tofu and veggies stay separate and uncorrupted.

 

The recipe is pretty simple, and doesn't really need exact measurements  - use the vegetables you have and the spices you like, in the amounts that suit you.  Besides the eggplant from the garden, I also had some shitake mushrooms in the refrigerator.  Basil from the garden, and garlic from the farmer's market (more about that here) finished off the dish.  If I had planned ahead I would have grated fresh ginger, but I didn't so I used ginger powder from my spice cabinet.

Recipe

(quantities approximate)

2 lbs. firm tofu

2 small japanese eggplants (these are the skinny ones - sometimes called chinese eggplants)

1/2 pound shitake mushrooms

handful of basil leaves

4-5 garlic cloves

2-4 tbsp. olive oil

3 tbsp. tamari* (or regular soy sauce)

white pepper & ginger to taste

1) Cut the tofu into cubes.  Slice the mushrooms and eggplant thinly, chop the basil, mince or press the garlic.

2) Put two large saute or stir-fry pans on the stove, heat some of the oil in each pan. When the oil is hot, add half the garlic to each pan and stir fry for about a minute.

3) Add the tofu to one pan, and add the eggplants and mushrooms to the other. Stir fry.

This is where it gets a little complicated, since you have to do two things at once.

4) Once the tofu has cooked for about a minute, add the tamari, ginger, and white pepper (I used about a teaspoon of each spice, but it really depends on your taste).  Keep stir frying for about 4 minutes.  When you cut open a cube of tofu, it should be an even tan color.

5) Meanwhile, keep stir frying the eggplant-mushrooms in the other pan, until the eggplant looks almost completely tender (around 7-8 minutes).  Add the basil and stir fry for another minute.

I usually serve this with brown rice.  Other vegetables on the side work well too.

 *A note about tamari - I use tamari both because I like the strong taste, and because unlike a lot of things labeled "soy sauce", tamari is just soy, without added ingredients. I like the "San-J" brand - it's reduced sodium, and O-U kosher.