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Preparation
25 minutes
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Cooking
30 minutes
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Difficulty
Easy
Vu lan is a special occasion to show gratitude to parents. During this time, preparing a delicious meal by yourself is a great way to express your filial piety. Today, let’s get into the kitchen with TasteVN to cook this incredibly delicious vegetarian eggplant dish with coconut milk!
Ingredients for Eggplant with Coconut Milk For 4 people
Eggplant 1 piece Lemongrass 5 stalks Straw mushrooms 100 gr Coconut milk 200 ml Green chili 5 pieces Red chili 1 piece Spring onion A bit Vietnamese balm A bit Vegetarian seasoning 2 tablespoons Sugar 1 tablespoon Cooking oil 2 tablespoons (vegetable oil)
How to choose fresh ingredients
How to choose fresh eggplants
- Choose eggplants with smooth skin, bright and even color, with fresh stems that are firmly attached to the fruit.
- Select eggplants that feel firm to the touch, not soft or mushy. When lightly pressing your finger on the skin, if it leaves an imprint, the eggplant is ripe.
- Avoid eggplants with wrinkled skin or many dark spots on the surface. If the skin color is pale pink or light purple with a slightly hard skin, do not buy them as they are overripe.
How to choose delicious straw mushrooms
- Delicious straw mushrooms are those that are still in bud form, round or cylindrical, not yet opened, and feel slightly firm when gently squeezed.
- You should choose mushrooms with a characteristic fragrant smell, bright colors, and uniform size; black or gray mushrooms will taste better than white ones.
- Avoid mushrooms that have a bad smell, are dull in color, feel soft and mushy when touched, or those that have expanded too much, as these indicate that they have been stored for too long and will not taste good.
How to prepare Eggplant braised in coconut milk
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Prepare the eggplant
Wash the eggplant thoroughly after purchasing, ensuring you can soak it in diluted salt water for 5 minutes.
Then cut the eggplant into large pieces about 2 finger joints long, and for each piece, cut it lengthwise into 4 parts.
Tip:
- To prevent the eggplant from browning and to make it more visually appealing, immediately place the cut eggplant into a bowl of cold water!
- To avoid the eggplant becoming mushy after braising in coconut milk, do not cut the eggplant too small; instead, cut it into bite-sized pieces.
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Prepare other ingredients
For lemongrass, you will divide it into 2 parts. Take 3 stalks of lemongrass, chop them finely, and then mince them. The remaining 2 stalks should be cut in half into pieces about the length of your pinky finger, then smashed and cut lengthwise in half.
Wash the spring onion and chop it finely. If you do not have spring onion, you can substitute it with garlic and red onion, which will also add a fragrant aroma to the dish.
Wash the Vietnamese coriander with water, then soak it in diluted salt water for 5 minutes, then take it out, wash it again with clean water, and chop it finely.
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Cook the coconut milk
Heat a ceramic pot on the stove over medium heat, add 2 tablespoons of cooking oil and the chopped scallions, then sauté until fragrant.
When the scallions are golden and fragrant, add the minced lemongrass and the bruised stalks of lemongrass into the pot. Stir well for about 3 – 5 minutes until the lemongrass is golden and aromatic.
Then reduce the heat, continue to add 200ml of coconut milk along with 100ml of filtered water into the pot.
Next, add 2 tablespoons of vegetarian seasoning and 1 tablespoon of sugar into the pot and stir the mixture well, then cook for about 5 – 10 minutes until the coconut milk starts to heat up.
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Stewed Eggplant and Straw Mushrooms
At this point, add the eggplant and straw mushrooms, stir well, then cover and stew for about 5 minutes for the ingredients to absorb the seasoning.
Now check if the eggplant is soft and cooked through, not mushy, and the coconut milk has thickened. Remember to adjust the seasoning to your taste!
Finally, add green chili, red chili, and a little Vietnamese coriander on top to make the dish more visually appealing and enhance the flavor.
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Final Product
The dish of eggplant stewed with coconut milk is complete with an attractive color, fragrant with the rich coconut milk blended with the savory taste of eggplant and the sweet, mild flavor of straw mushrooms, which will make your meal more interesting.
See more
- How to make delicious grilled eggplant with savory soy sauce
- 2 ways to make delicious and simple eggplant braised in clay pot and vegetarian dipping sauce
- 2 ways to make delicious stuffed eggplant with scallion oil and soy sauce
What are you waiting for? Quickly showcase your skills by making this extremely simple vegan eggplant braised in coconut milk to impress your family this Vu Lan season. TasteVN wishes you success and a delicious meal!
