Eggplant + Tofu Adobo over Rice

Active Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes

Why we love it:

Here’s our version of Filipino Adobo, one of the most famous dishes. Often seen with chicken, it’s actually commonly made with eggplant. It looks beautiful, smells incredible while cooking, and strikes all the notes from savory, sweet, tangy, and a little spicy with the jalapeño. Takes some time in the pot but it’s all unattended!

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Ingredients

1 package Firm Tofu (look for the shrink wrapped kind not in water)
1¹⁄₂ pounds Japanese Eggplant
1 Tablespoon Vegetable Oil (divided)
³⁄₄ cup White Vinegar (distilled)
³⁄₄ cup Soy Sauce
1 Tablespoon Brown Sugar
5 Bay Leafs (dried)
1 head Garlic
2 Jalapeños (divided, optional)
¹⁄₂ teaspoon Black Pepper
1 cup Long Grain White Rice (uncooked)
2 cups Water
¹⁄₂ teaspoon Kosher Salt
1 Tablespoon Unsalted Butter
³⁄₄ pound Brussels Sprouts

Cooking Instructions

1. TOFU + EGGPLANT

Open the tofu and cut it into even cubes.

Slice the eggplant in half lengthwise and place them cut side down. Slice lengthwise again. Then slice into 2 inch long segments.
2. SEAR

Heat ½ of the vegetable oil in a large, heavy Dutch oven or pot over medium heat. Add tofu first and sear on 2-3 of the sides for about 1-2 minutes each until it’s nicely golden. Remove to a plate.

Heat the rest of the oil, then fry the eggplant pieces on 1-2 of the sides until they’re golden and getting soft - cook these for about 6 minutes total. Add the tofu back to the pot.
3. SAUCE

Measure out the vinegar, soy sauce, brown sugar, and bay leaves. Slice the head of garlic in half - right though the paper skins and all. Slice one jalapeño in half lengthwise; slice the other one into rounds and set aside. Pour all of this over the tofu and eggplant in the pot. Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to low, stirring to dissolve sugar. Season generously with black pepper.
4. SIMMER

Once simmering, turn to coat the tofu and eggplant, and turn the heat down to medium-low. Maintain a steady simmer for about 10-12 minutes. The sauce will thicken by evaporating but if it ever looks too thin, turn heat lower and partially cover the pan.
5. RICE

Combine rice, water, and salt in a small pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce to low and cover. Steam for 17 minutes or until water is absorbed and it’s tender. Leave on the stovetop, off the heat until ready to serve.
6. BRUSSELS

Trim the ends of the brussels sprouts and cut them in half. Using a large sauté pan over high heat, melt the butter, then add the brussels. Sear for about 3-4 minutes, and once they’re golden brown, toss to flip them over and brown the other side. Add about 1 Tablespoon of water to the pan and let it sizzle off while shaking the pan, this will help them steam a little bit. Continue cooking for another minute or so to brown.
7. SERVING

Serve a big scoop of rice topped with eggplant, tofu and sauce. Brussels sprouts go on the side. Garnish with jalapeno rounds to taste.

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Substitutions

EGGPLANT:

follow the same method but use portobellos, cauliflower florets or even slices of kabocha, acorn or butternut squash. Rounds of sweet potatoes or carrots are nice too. You can also just double up on the tofu and do an all tofu version
JAPANESE EGGPLANT:

if you can’t find Japanese or Chinese eggplant, you can use a regular globe eggplant but they take longer to cook, so add extra time simmering in the sauce until they’re completely tender
RICE:

serve with side of choice, anything goes
SUGAR:

you can use maple syrup or honey if you prefer
WHITE VINEGAR:

some recipes use cider or red wine vinegar
DOUBLE:

this is delicious leftover, so it’s a great one to double up!
KIDS CORNER:

if they’re very sensitive to heat, omit both jalapeños. Include a vegetable they like in the sauce especially if they won’t eat tofu. The color of it ends up being brown and sticky, familiar for most even if this dish is new