Prep Time: 20 minutes Cook Time: 20 minutes Total Time: 45 minutes
Note: Prep Time will vary depending on whether or not the tofu is already drained and the rice is already cooked. I picked a time somewhat in the middle to accommodate, but if the tofu is already drained and rice already cooked, the prep time could only consist of dicing your tofu, eggplant, and vegetables.
Ingredients:
1 block tofu, cubed
2/3 cup Eggplant, cubed
1 cup cooked brown rice
1/2 large sweet onion, sliced
2-3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2/3 cup carrots, chopped
1 cup broccoli
1/2 cup hoisin sauce
2-3 tablespoons soy sauce
Vegetable Oil (enough to coat the bottom of your pan)
Cornstarch (enough to coat your tofu pieces)
1 teaspoon five-spice powder
1 1/2 teaspoon sesame seeds
Salt and pepper to taste
Preparation:
1. Cook the rice as instructed on the back of the package. In the meantime, if you haven’t already, drain your tofu and dice your vegetables.
2. Heat enough vegetable oil in your skillet or frying pan on medium-high heat to fry the tofu and eggplant. (I apologize for not having a measurement for this; I just eyeball it. I’d say it’s around 1/4 to 1/3 cup).
3. While the oil is heating up, coat your tofu pieces in cornstarch. This will help the tofu crisp.
4. When the oil is heated, add the tofu. Let the pieces fry until the bottom is browned, about 4-5 minutes. Flip the tofu and brown the other side, another 4-5 minutes.
5. Once the tofu has browned, temporarily remove the pieces from the oil and onto a plate. Set aside.
6. Add the pieces of eggplant into the oil. Add more oil if necessary (tofu tends to soak it up).
7. Let the eggplant brown on one side (about 6-8 minutes), flip the eggplant, and brown the opposite side.
8. Once the eggplant has browned, reduce the heat to medium and add the diced carrot, onion, garlic, and broccoli. Let this saute, stirring frequently, until the onion is translucent.
9. Return the tofu to the pan.
10. Add the cooked rice, hoisin sauce, soy sauce, five spice, sesame seeds, and salt and pepper. Stir well and allow to simmer 2-3 minutes before serving (add a bit more hoisin sauce if things get dry).
11. Serve and enjoy!
Katie's Vegetarian Kitchen 