Ingredients:
Neutral oil (such as canola), for frying
1 poundJapanese or Chinese eggplant
3 ouncesfirm tofu, drained and crumbled
2 teaspoonsfinely minced ginger
3 garlic cloves, finely minced
2 scallions, white part finely minced, green part chopped
1 1/4 cups1/4 cups water or vegetable broth, plus more for the slurry
1/2 teaspoonSichuan peppercorns, crushed
1/2 tablespoonchile powder (preferably Sichuan)
1 tablespoondoubanjiang (fermented bean paste)
1 tablespoonlight soy sauce
1 tablespoonShaoxing wine
1/2 tablespoondark soy sauce
1/2 tablespoongranulated sugar
2 teaspoonscornstarch
Cooked rice, for serving
Directions:
Fill a large wok or saucepan with about 2 inches of oil for frying. Heat the oil to 350°F. While that heats up, trim the ends from the eggplant, then roll-cut into 1½-inch pieces (cutting the eggplant right before frying prevents it from oxidizing). Fry the eggplants for about 1 minute, until it turns slightly tender. Use a sieve to remove the eggplant, then set the sieve over a bowl.
Carefully pour the oil into a heatproof vessel (you can reserve and reuse it for other dishes), leaving about 1 tablespoon in the pan. Over medium heat, sauté the tofu, stirring occasionally, for 2 to 3 minutes, until a thin crust forms. Push the tofu aside and add the ginger, garlic, and white part of the scallions. Sauté for 1 minute or so, until fragrant, adding more oil if needed.
Lower the heat, then add the peppercorns, chile powder, doubanjiang, soy sauce, wine, dark soy sauce, sugar, and water or broth. Stir to mix well, increase the heat to medium-high, and bring the liquid to a boil.
Reduce the heat to medium, add the eggplant to the pan, and gently toss to combine. Simmer over medium heat until the sauce has reduced to almost half or the eggplant is as tender as you like. (You can cover the pan with a lid to speed up the cooking, but eggplant will lose its purple hue this way.)
While that simmers, in a small bowl, whisk the cornstarch with 1 tablespoon of water until combined.
When the eggplant is tender enough, taste and adjust the seasoning accordingly (say, a little soy sauce if you want it saltier, or more doubanjiang if you want it spicier). Slowly add the slurry and continue to simmer until thickened. Garnish with the remaining chopped scallions and serve with rice.