Laotian Eggplant with Tomatoes for #Food of the World

By Pavani @napavani
We are visiting Laos this month for the Food of the World event. I made this Laotian Eggplant with Tomatoes and Mint recipe from Vegetarian Times magazine.
Laos is a landlocked country bordered by Myanmar and China to the northwest, Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the south and Thailand to the West. I've heard about Laos, but had very limited knowledge of the country or the cuisine. A little googling later, I learnt (from Wiki) that steamed sticky rice is the staple food of Laos and they eat more sticky rice than any other country in the world.
I was surprised to read that the popular Thai food--sticky rice, papaya salad etc are in fact originally from Laos. The neighboring Thai and Vietnamese food is more famous in the west, but some of the dishes we have been enjoying all this time are actually Laotian.
Laos cuisine has many regional variations, due in part to the fresh foods available in each region. Communal eating is very common and the meal usually consists of spicy soup, sticky rice and a range of meat based side dishes.
Today's recipe takes less than 30 minutes to make and tastes spicy, sweet and tangy. Original recipe also had bamboo shoots which I skipped because I couldn't find any. Serve it with some sticky rice for an authentic Laotian meal. 
Laotian Eggplant with Tomatoes
Ingredients:
  • 2 Medium Japanese Eggplant, diced
  • 1 Medium Red Onion, thinly sliced
  • 2 Medium Tomatoes, chopped
  • 1tbsp Oil
  • 2tbsp Dark brown Sugar
  • 2tbsp Soy Sauce
  • 1~2tsp Chile-garlic sauce
  • 2tsp Lime juice
  • 2cups Bean Sprouts
  • 1/4cup Fresh Mint, chopped
  • To taste Salt & Pepper
Method:
  1. In a large skillet or wok, heat oil over high heat. Add onions and eggplant and stir fry for 8~10 minutes or until onions are lightly browned around the edges and eggplant is tender.
  2. Add tomatoes, brown sugar, chile sauce, soy sauce and lime juice. Cook for 3~4 minutes.
  3. Next add the bean sprouts, salt and pepper, cook for 2 more minutes.
  4. Garnish with mint and serve with sticky rice or noodles.

Please visit our cohosts blogs and follow their sites!  Diane: http://www.simplelivingeating.com  Adelina: http://www.homemaidsimple.com  Shey: http://justnotthecakes.blogspot.com  Mireille: http://www.theschizochef.com/blog/ Usha: http://www.myspicykitchen.net Pavani: http://www.cookshideout.com
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