My method of roasting the eggplant before stir-frying is not at all Chinese, but it allows me to pull off a beautiful, succulent stir-fried eggplant that doesn’t require at least 1/4 cup of oil. The eggplant is already soft when you add it to the wok. Seek out long, light purple Asian eggplant for this.
Combine the rice wine or sherry, the hoisin sauce and the soy sauce in a small bowl and set aside
03Heat a 14-inch flat-bottomed wok or 12-inch steel skillet over high heat until a drop of water evaporates within a second or two when added to the pan. Swirl in 1 tablespoon of the oil and add the tofu. Let it sit in the pan for about 30 seconds, until it begins to sear, then stir-fry for about 2 minutes, until lightly colored. Transfer to a plate
04Swirl in the remaining oil, then add the garlic, ginger and red pepper flakes and stir-fry for no more than 10 seconds. Add the peppers and eggplant, sprinkle with salt to taste and stir-fry for 2 minutes. Return the tofu to the wok, add the hoisin sauce mixture and stir-fry for another 1 to 2 minutes, until the eggplant is tender and infused with the sauce and the peppers are crisp-tender. Remove from the heat and serve with rice, grains or noodles