Chinese Eggplant with Green Peppers and Mushrooms

I’m not sure about other regions in the US, but in the Atlanta area it’s hard to find Chinese eggplant in the local grocery store. I had to venture over to the Dekalb Farmers Market to get this special vegetable. The Dekalb Farmers Market is a contradiction in itself: it brings me both joy and misery at the same time.

The happiness part: it is the land of exotic produce. You want fruit that looks like a porcupine?  They got it!  You want a vegetable from another country?  They have it!

The gloom and doom of it all: it is overwhelmingly crowded constantly, and causes great anxiety to someone who likes to get in and out of the grocery store. You have to be as patient as a saint, and keep in mind that you’re there to get the most exquisite food in the Atlanta area.

The Dekalb Farmers Market not only sells unheard of groceries, but they also prepare food of their own. Everything I’ve tried has been outrageously good. If you live in the Atlanta area and haven’t been, take a moment to stop by and remember  – to just breathe.

Chinese Eggplant with Green Peppers and Mushrooms

Ingredients:

Rice

• 1 cup uncooked whole grain rice
• 1 cup frozen green peas
• 1 Tbsp. butter

Chinese Eggplant with Green Peppers and Mushrooms

• 3/4 cup chopped onion
• 4 cloves minced garlic
• 1 medium green bell pepper, cut in 1 in. chunks
• 3 medium Chinese eggplant, cut in 1 in. chunks
• 8 oz. package of sliced mushrooms
• 1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
• 1 Tbsp. sesame oil
• 3 Tbsp. soy sauce
• 1/4 cup vegetable broth
• 1 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
• 1 tsp Sriracha

Directions:

Cook rice as directed. In a separate medium pan, sauté onion, garlic and green pepper in vegetable and sesame oils over medium heat for 5 minutes or until tender.

Add Chinese eggplant, soy sauce, vegetable broth, red wine vinegar, and Sriracha to pan; sauté for 5-10 minutes, or until eggplant is slightly soft.

Add mushrooms to the pan; sauté for 5-10 minutes, or until vegetables are tender.

Once rice is finished, add green peas and butter.

Combine rice with Chinese eggplant mixture and serve.