Sri Lankan Sweet and Sour Egg Plant

In Sri Lanka, they call eggplant “brinjals.” During our time in the hill country, we tried a lot of food, and one of the many vegetable dishes served with our dinner was made with eggplant. It wasn't like the other dishes. This one had so many contrasting flavors... sweet, sour, salty. It was absolutely delicious.

Now back in Damascus, I was craving this dish, so I decided to try to make it. After doing a little recipe research, I managed to create a dish which seems to match the one in my memory. So, here it is. It's probably not authentic, but regardless, it tastes pretty good to me!

Sweet and Sour Egg Plant (Brinjals)

Serves 2 as a side dish

1 Medium Eggplant, cut into 1 inch strips (about 3 cups)

1 Small Onion, cut into thin slices (about ½ cup)

1 tbsp Canola Oil

1 tbsp Sesame Oil

1 tbsp Oyster Sauce

1 tbsp Dark Soy Sauce

1 tbsp Rice Wine Vinegar

1 tbsp Sugar

2 Cloves Garlic, minced

2 tbsp Water

1/2 tsp Curry Powder

Spring Onion, thinly sliced (optional garnish)

Soak strips of eggplant in water for 2 minutes. Drain.

In a small bowl, mix together oyster sauce, soy, vinegar, sugar, garlic, water, and curry powder. Set aside.

Heat canola and sesame oils over high heat. Add eggplant and onion and cook until brown and soft. Add sauce mixture and stirfry until hot. Garnish with spring onion. Serve with rice or Sri Lankan hoppers.