The first time we had a dish like this eggplant string bean stir-fry was at a random Hunan restaurant in the Bridgewater, NJ (Fortune Cookies on York Rd). It’s amazing how immigrants from China can come to the U.S., set up shop in a sleepy town, and bring some of China to the suburbs.
This eggplant string bean stir-fry is one of our must-order dishes when we go out to this particular restaurant, and we discovered it’s a very quick-to-prepare dish for home cooking as well.
Luckily, with spring and early summer’s abundance, seasonal eating is at its best right now. I know that there are many home-growers out there (proud to say that I am one among you!), and I bet you’ll have eggplants and green beans ready for this yummy dish.
I know I can’t wait for mine to come in. All this rain has stunted their growth a bit, but it’ll be harvest time eventually.
To tell you the truth, I had a long debate with myself about this dish: my original plan was to make it healthier, like my Sichuan Dry Fried Green Beans, with no frying.
But my inner voice kept saying, “Give me the real thing!” My grandmother told me to always listen to my inner voice, so I made some adjustments, and the result is––in my opinion––a happy medium.
Note: this recipe was originally published in June 2015. We have updated it with metric measurements! Enjoy.
Eggplant String Bean Stir-fry: Recipe Instructions
In a flat bottomed frying pan, heat the oil over medium heat, and shallow fry the green beans.
Roll the beans around slowly until they start to look wrinkly and slightly crisp. Use a slotted spoon to remove them to a plate and set aside.
Using the remaining oil in the pan, do the same procedure with the eggplant using slightly higher heat. It’s done once the edges turn slightly browned, and the eggplant is tender.
Remove the eggplant from the pan and set aside along with the green beans.
Add one tablespoon of the leftover oil in a wok over medium heat. Add the ginger, garlic, and red holland chili, and cook for a minute.
Mix in the green beans and eggplant, and then the light soy sauce, oyster sauce, salt, and white pepper.
Stir-fry for 1-2 minutes, and serve your eggplant string bean stir-fry with rice.
Eggplant String Bean Stir-fry
Ingredients
- ¼ cup oil
- 8 oz. green beans (cut into 2-3 inch long pieces)
- 1 long purple eggplant (approx. 8 oz/225g, cut into ½” x 2” strips)
- 2 slices ginger (julienned)
- 6 cloves garlic (smashed and coarsely chopped)
- 1 red holland chili (de-seeded and sliced; you can also substitute some red bell pepper if you want the dish to be mild)
- 2 tablespoons light soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon oyster sauce (or vegetarian oyster sauce)
- Salt (to taste)
- 1/8 teaspoon ground white pepper
Instructions
- In a flat bottomed frying pan, heat the oil over medium heat, and shallow fry the green beans. Roll the beans around slowly until they start to look wrinkly and slightly crisp. Use a slotted spoon to remove them to a plate and set aside.
- Using the remaining oil in the pan, do the same procedure with the eggplant using slightly higher heat. It’s done once the edges turn slightly browned, and the eggplant is tender. Remove the eggplant from the pan and set aside along with the green beans.
- Add one tablespoon of the leftover oil in a wok over medium heat. Add the ginger, garlic, and red chili, and cook for a minute. Mix in the green beans and eggplant, and then the light soy sauce, oyster sauce, salt, and white pepper. Stir-fry for 1-2 minutes, and serve.
