Eggplant is perhaps my top cooking enemy, and Sichuan-style eggplant in particular is a feared foe that out masters me every time. I have tried and tried again, but my homemade eggplant always has a tough, unappealing consistency. It's almost like eating something that isn't actually edible – simultaneously overcooked and raw.
So when some eggplant arrived in a recent vegetable delivery, my heart stopped a bit. What was I going to do with these rotund evil bulbs??
Not so much driven by determination to vanquish Sichuan-style eggplant as just a lack of creativity on my part, I re-opened the Madhur Jaffrey World Vegetarian cookbook and turned to the Hot and Spicy Sichuan-Style Eggplants recipe. And instead of trying to improvise this recipe – at least in terms of technique – I set out to chop and steam the eggplant as directed, an approach I haven't tried before.
Surprisingly the texture was soft and almost melted in my mouth, without having a stringy or tough texture! Yay, I have mastered eggplant or so I thought to myself.
Unfortunately the disappointment came with the flavoring mix, which resulted in an overly tangy recipe that lingered on my mouth, followed by a slight stomach upset hours later.
My unvetted theory is that inclusion of red wine vinegar in the recipe was particularly problematic, as it most likely caused the over-tanginess of the dish. However, the whole dish seemed off – slightly sour, somewhat spicy, nothing quite coming together, and just completely unappealing for my palate.
But at least I mastered an eggplant preparation technique! I'll take that as a win after years of trying!
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