Crispy Eggplant “Steaks” with Fried Rice & Mushroom Gravy

SERVES: 4–6 PREP: 30 minutes TOTAL TIME: 1 hour

Crispy Eggplant “Steaks” with Fried Rice & Mushroom Gravy

SERVES: 4–6 PREP: 30 minutes TOTAL TIME: 1 hour

A hearty, comforting alternative holiday main dish from The Korean Vegan.

This recipe comes from Joanne Molinaro, aka The Korean Vegan (and author of the best-selling cookbook of the same name). Every flavor in her recipes tells a story from her Korean heritage, family and childhood, or both. So we asked her to share one of her favorite comforting vegan main dishes that will satisfy vegans and meat-eaters alike during the holidays. Below, she shares how she came up with this recipe based on her own traditions—and how to make sure you get perfectly crispy eggplant “steaks” every time.

The first thing I did when I started veganizing Korean food was to go to eggplant. I remember my first attempt at a galbi-jjim was using eggplant instead of short ribs. Eggplant is such a hearty food and does the same thing as a lot of proteins—it sucks up the flavors it is immersed in. It’s such a great sponge for intense flavor. The trouble with eggplant is that it’s a little tricky! Because it is so spongy and soaks up so much liquid, it has a tendency to get soggy. That’s why I love this method of dredging it in a little potato starch—a very Korean ingredient; a lot of western and Chinese recipes call for cornstarch—which is lighter and creates a crispier texture. Dredging with potato starch before frying creates the perfect texture while also protecting the eggplant from becoming overly soggy.

When I think of hearty main dishes, I can’t not have rice! That’s very Korean of me—there has to be a noodle or a rice to make the dish complete. I love mixing the different kinds of grains, even just brown and white rice, which is what my umma (mom) does all the time. It creates a dimension to what is often just an afterthought to a meal. I took it to the next level with fried rice, studded with sweet potatoes—which my family and I had almost every day growing up, especially around the holidays—for extra festivity and color. But the best part of this dish, and surprisingly the least Korean part, is the mushroom gravy. My mom would make American food for the holidays, but she’d often forget the gravy. Turkey and steak taste terrible to me without a proper gravy or sauce, so I would run to the store, get a jar, and heat it up for the family. It really does bring everything together in a very joyous, sumptuous, holiday way.

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INGREDIENTS DIRECTIONS

For the rice:

1 cup short grain brown rice
1 cup short grain white rice
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 cup small diced sweet potato (about 5 ounces)
4 scallion whites, chopped
4 sprigs fresh thyme
2 tablespoons pomegranate seeds
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
½ cup mushroom stock or vegetable stock
4 scallion greens, chopped
1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds

For the eggplant "steaks"

1 large eggplant (about 1 pound)
1 cup potato starch
1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for prepping the steaks
1 teaspoon pepper
2–4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

For the gravy:

1 tablespoon rice vinegar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 cup mushroom stock or vegetable stock
2 tablespoons vegan butter
2 tablespoons potato starch
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 tablespoons pomegranate seeds

Make the rice: Rinse 1 cup of brown rice under cold water in a fine mesh strainer until the water runs clear. Add the rice, along with 3 cups of water, to a medium pot. Bring to a boil. Lower to a simmer, cover with the lid cracked open just a little bit, and cook for 20 minutes. Rinse 1 cup white rice and add to the pot. Return to a simmer, cover, and cook until all of the rice is tender, about 15 more minutes. (Alternatively, if you have a rice cooker, you could just use your “mixed rice” setting.) Let steam in the pot for 10 more minutes before transferring to a sheet pan to cool and dry; it can even be refrigerated overnight!
Prepare your eggplant steaks: While the rice is cooking, cut the eggplant lengthwise into half-inch-thick slices. (You should get four or five from a 1-pound eggplant.) Place the sliced eggplant on a kitchen towel. Sprinkle each steak with a pinch of salt. Flip them over and repeat. Set them aside for 15 minutes. Pat them dry on both sides with a kitchen towel.
Add 1 cup of potato starch to a large plate. Mix in 1 teaspoon of salt and pepper. Dredge each of the eggplant slices (both sides) with a thin layer of potato starch mixture. Tap any excess off. Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to a very large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Once the oil gets hot and starts to shimmer (about 1 minute), add 2 or 3 eggplant slices to the pan, making sure not to crowd the pan. Cook until they start to brown, about 4 minutes, and flip. Add about 1 tablespoon of olive oil, as you will find that much of the olive oil you started out with has been absorbed by the eggplant. Cook for another 4 minutes and remove from the pan. Repeat for the remaining eggplant slices, adding extra oil as necessary.
Finish the rice: Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to a large, deep pan over medium-high heat. When the oil begins to shimmer (about 1 minute), add the sweet potatoes, scallion whites, salt, pepper, and sprinkle in the fresh thyme leaves by running your thumb and index finger along the sprig over your pan, and cook, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon, until the sweet potatoes begin to soften, about 4–5 minutes.
Add the pomegranate seeds and the rice and mix everything until well incorporated. Add the mushroom stock and reduce heat to medium-low and cook, covered with a lid, until the liquid has completely evaporated and the sweet potatoes are tender, about 3–5 minutes. Cover with lid to keep warm.
Make the gravy: Mix together the soy sauce, rice vinegar, and mushroom stock. Set aside. Add vegan butter, potato starch, and brown sugar to a small saucepan over very low heat. Begin stirring the ingredients together immediately until a paste forms as the butter softens. Add the mushroom broth mixture to the pot, stirring constantly to avoid any lumps (use a whisk if necessary). Add pomegranate seeds and continue cooking over low heat until it thickens to desired consistency (about 5 minutes).
To serve, place the eggplant steaks on a platter. Scoop the rice over the top of the steaks. Sprinkle with scallion greens, sesame seeds, and leftover pomegranate seeds. Drizzle with gravy or serve the gravy on the side. Note: If you leave the gravy out at room temperature, it will thicken into almost a gel. Add a tablespoon of mushroom stock over low heat and cook until it slackens to desired consistency.