Eggplant Braised in Vinegar and Soy Sauce (Adobo)

The Persian Prince and I are babysitting our daughter’s farm while she and her husband enjoy a much needed holiday. The farm is in country Victoria near the famous Mount Macedon Ranges and this time of the year , it is quite spectacular and the weather is still warm but with a promise of chill.

I was delighted to find two lonely eggplants in her garden patch, and these I cooked into Eggplant Adobo which is braised in Vinegar and Soy Sauce. While we sit down to dinner, I reflect on how far away I am from home ( Sydney where I call home, and the Philippines where I’m from) and how all it takes is a humble dish to remind you of who you are and your place in the world.

Adobo is a beloved Filipino dish which can be anything braised in soy sauce and vinegar. In this case, I used eggplants and a little bit of meat. The meat can be omitted if you’re catering for vegetarians and it will still be delicious. In our case, my son doesn’t like eggplants, so I braise the eggplant side by side with the meat and everyone is happy.

While you’re here check out my recipe for super delicious Chicken Adobo.

What you need for Eggplant Adobo

• Eggplant – you need about 2 to 3 Italian (the bigger variety) eggplants . Japanese eggplants are also just good.
• Minced Pork or Beef- You can omit the meat for a vegetarian option
• Pantry Staples – Garlic,Onion,Soy Sauce,White Vinegar, Cooking Oil, sugar, Salt & Pepper,Bay Leaves
• Extras – Chilli Oil if you want it spicy or chillies, Mama Sita BBQ Marinade. Mama Sita BBQ Marinade is a garlicky sweet soy (so delicious as a BBQ marinade as it was intended to be ) and can be sourced from most Asian shops. I notice a few Coles and Woolworths carrying them as well. I get mine from an online Asian shop called Filo Grocer. If you can’t find Mama Sita sauce, don’t despair just add another tablespoon of soy sauce and 1 tablespoon of sugar.

Easy does it…Eggplant Adobo

• For the larger eggplant variety, slice the eggplant into 3 crosswise and then into 1 cm thick slices lengthwise. For the smaller Japanese variety, slice into 2 then halve lengthwise. Place the eggplant pieces in a colander over the sink, then sprinkle them with a bit of salt to draw out the excess moisture. Toss the eggplant pieces to coat evenly. Set aside for at least 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, prepare the rest of ingredients. Peel and slice the onions into rings. Set aside. Peel and mince the garlic.
• Pat the eggplant dry with paper towels. Place oil in a pan on medium heat and fry the eggplant on both sides until golden . You may need to do this in batches, adding more oil as required. Set aside to a plate. If you don’t like the idea of frying eggplants for whatever reason, you can bake the eggplants instead. Spray eggplants with cooking oil and lay them in a single layer on a tray and bake at 160°C for 20 minutes. Then proceed as per the recipe.
  
• In the same pan, cook the onion rings until golden and set aside. This will be used as a topping.
• Add the minced garlic to the same pan, and cook until golden and fragrant. Then add minced pork, if using. Use a wooden spoon to break up the lumps in the meat , and stir fry until it cooks about 5 minutes.
• Add soy sauce,vinegar bay leaves cracked pepper half a cup of water and Mama Sita Sauce if using. Scrape off the bits on the pan with a wooden spoon to deglaze. Place the cooked eggplants on top, cover the pan and simmer on low for about 15 minutes or until the eggplants are silky and cooked and the sauce reduced. Correct seasoning by adding more salt and pepper if required.
• Serve with rice and garnish with sliced onion rings, chilli and shallots.

Eggplant Braised in Vinegar and Soy Sauce(Adobo)

Recipe by acmowlai

0.0 from 0 votes

Course: Pinoy Favourites, VegetarianCuisine: FilipinoDifficulty: Easy

Servings

4

servings

Prep time

30

minutes

Cooking time

40

minutes

Ingredients

• 2 or 3 Italian Eggplants or 4 Japanese Eggplants

• Salt and cracked Pepper

• 200g minced beef pork or chicken

• 1 large onion peeled sliced into rings

• 4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

• 3 tablespoons soy sauce

• 2 tablespoons Mama Sita BBQ sauce (or add 1 tablespoon soysauce and 1 teaspoon sugar)

• 4 tablespoons white or Apple Cider vinegar

• 2 bay leaves

• 2 tablespoons of sugar

• Finely sliced shallots and chilli for garnish,optional

Directions

• Cut the larger eggplants into 3 crosswise then slice into 1 cm thick slices. For smaller Japanese eggplants, cut into 2 then slice into halves. Place eggplant slices in a colander over the sink then sprinkle both sides with salt. Set aside for at least 20 minutes. Pat dry with a paper towel.
• If you choose to bake the eggplant, lay them in a single layer in a baking tray, then bake for 20 minutes at 160°C . Set aside and proceed from step 4.
• Place cooking oil in a pan, the fry the eggplant slices until golden brown on both sides. You might need to add more oil as necessary. Set aside to a plate.
  
• In the same pan, cook the onion rings until golden brown. Set aside. Have about 2 tablespoon oil in the pan. Add the garlic and stir fry until golden, then add the minced meat if using. Use a wooden spoon to break up lumps in the meat.
• Add the soy sauce, Mama Sita sauce if using,vinegar, sugar, cracked pepper, bay leaves and 1/4 cup of water. Use a wooden spoon to scrape the bits on the bottom of the pan to deglaze.
• Place the eggplant slices on top of the meat, set the heat to low, cover pan and simmer for 15 minutes without stirring, by which time the eggplant would be silky but still intact.
• To serve, garnish with cooked onion rings, finely sliced shallots and sliced chilli if you want it hot. Serve with rice.

Notes

• Serve with steamed white rice.