Sausage and Eggplant Fried Rice: A Delicious Way to Use Up Leftovers!
How to Make Sausage and Eggplant Fried Rice, Eggplant Recipes, Sausage Recipes, Fried Rice Recipes, One-Dish Meals
Fried rice is always a lifesaver when you’re too tired to prepare side dishes. It’s wonderfully convenient and flavorful to simply stir-fry whatever you have in the fridge! Today, I made a delicious fried rice with sausages and eggplants. While sausage is the star, the eggplant adds a surprisingly significant depth of flavor and a pleasant texture that makes a big difference. By pre-sautéing the eggplant, it doesn’t become mushy or separate from the other ingredients; instead, it melds beautifully with everything else. Let’s make this hearty and satisfying sausage and eggplant fried rice!
Main Ingredients- 1 medium eggplant
- 2 frankfurter sausages
- 1 potato (about the size of a fist)
- 1/4 onion
- 1/4 red bell pepper
- 10 cm (about 4 inches) green onion
- 1/2 Tbsp minced garlic
- 3 cups cooked rice
Seasoning and Other Ingredients- 4 Tbsp soy sauce
- 2 Tbsp oyster sauce
- 2 Tbsp cooking wine (mirin or similar)
- 1/2 Tbsp sugar
- 1 Tbsp sesame oil
- 1/2 Tbsp toasted sesame seeds
- A little cooking oil (for stir-frying)
- A pinch of salt
- A pinch of black pepper
- 4 Tbsp soy sauce
- 2 Tbsp oyster sauce
- 2 Tbsp cooking wine (mirin or similar)
- 1/2 Tbsp sugar
- 1 Tbsp sesame oil
- 1/2 Tbsp toasted sesame seeds
- A little cooking oil (for stir-frying)
- A pinch of salt
- A pinch of black pepper
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
First, let’s prepare the eggplant. Wash one medium eggplant thoroughly and slice it diagonally. Aim for slices about 0.5 cm (about 1/5 inch) thick. Cutting them into strips rather than dicing makes them easier to handle and adds a nice texture to the fried rice.
Step 2
Next, we’ll prepare the other vegetables. Peel one potato (about the size of your fist) and cut it into thin strips, similar in thickness to the eggplant. Finely chop about 10 cm (4 inches) of green onion. Also, finely julienne 1/4 onion and 1/4 red bell pepper.
Step 3
Slice two frankfurter sausages thinly for easy eating in the fried rice. I’m using frankfurters I had in my fridge, but any type of sausage or even bacon would work wonderfully here. Feel free to use your favorite!
Step 4
Now, let’s mix the sauce that will bring all the flavors together. In a small bowl, combine 4 Tbsp soy sauce, 2 Tbsp oyster sauce, 2 Tbsp cooking wine, and 1/2 Tbsp sugar. Stir well until the sugar is dissolved. Finally, add 1 Tbsp sesame oil and 1/2 Tbsp toasted sesame seeds and mix again. This sauce will add a wonderful depth to your fried rice.
Step 5
Heat a little cooking oil in a wok or large skillet over medium heat. Add the sliced eggplant and sprinkle with a pinch of salt. Stir-fry the eggplant until it becomes translucent and slightly tender. Pre-sautéing the eggplant helps it retain a pleasant texture in the final dish.
Step 6
Remove the sautéed eggplant from the pan and set it aside. Add a little more oil to the same pan, then add the minced garlic, chopped green onion, and julienned onion. Stir-fry over medium-low heat until the aromatics are fragrant and slightly softened. Cooking these aromatics first allows their flavors to infuse the oil, making the entire dish more flavorful.
Step 7
Once the aromatics are fragrant, add the thinly sliced potato to the pan. Season with a tiny pinch of salt and a pinch of black pepper. Stir well and cook for a minute or two. Cover the pan and reduce the heat to low. Let it cook for about 5 minutes, or until the potato strips are tender when pierced with a fork. This steaming step ensures the potatoes cook through.
Step 8
When the potatoes are tender, add the sliced red bell pepper and sausage to the pan. Continue to stir-fry until the sausages are heated through and the bell peppers are slightly softened, allowing all the ingredients to mingle.
Step 9
Now, add the pre-sautéed eggplant and 3 cups of warm cooked rice to the pan. Pour in all the prepared sauce. Gently fold and stir-fry everything together, ensuring the sauce coats the rice and ingredients evenly. Break up any clumps of rice with your spatula to achieve a fluffy texture.
Step 10
And there you have it – delicious Sausage and Eggplant Fried Rice, made with sausages and whatever vegetables you have on hand! Pre-sautéing the eggplant prevents it from becoming mushy and helps it integrate perfectly with the other ingredients. The sausages make this a hit with kids, too! The beauty of fried rice lies in how diverse ingredients come together to create a harmonious dish. With no single overpowering flavor, the individual tastes shine through, and you get to enjoy plenty of vegetables. It’s a satisfying meal that you’ll find yourself making often. Enjoy your wonderful fried rice!
