I usually walk into the grocery store with a detailed list to quell impulse shopping. If I don’t, I tend to buy way more snacks than I mean to. On a post-work grocery run last week, I walked past the eggplants and decided I had to have one.

A healthy impulse buy? I’ll take it.

My eggplants usually turn into eggplant parm, so I wanted to do something a little different with this one. I loved this dish; Mark isn’t a big fan of eggplant but he did eat it without complaining.

This would likely be really good with chicken or beef in place of (or alongside) the eggplant too.

Spicy Eggplant
(from All Recipes)

4 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided 
1 large eggplant, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons water
1 1/2 tablespoons oyster sauce
1 tablespoon chili garlic sauce
1 teaspoon white sugar
ground black pepper to taste
1/2 teaspoon Asian (toasted) sesame oil

Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat until almost smoking. Cook and stir the eggplant cubes until they begin to brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove the eggplant with a slotted spoon, and set aside.

Heat 2 more tablespoons of oil in the skillet over medium-high heat, and cook and stir the onions just until they begin to soften, about 30 seconds.

Stir in the garlic, and cook and stir an additional 30 seconds. Mix in the soy sauce, water, oyster sauce, chili garlic sauce, sugar, and black pepper, and stir to form a smooth sauce.

Return the eggplant to the skillet, lower the heat, and allow the vegetables and sauce to simmer until the eggplant is tender and almost all the liquid has been absorbed, about 5 minutes. Drizzle sesame oil over the dish, and give one final brief stir to combine. Serve over rice.