Garden Veg Stir-Fry over Sushi Rice

Bok choy, eggplant, leeks & carrots · Buena Mulata & Murasaki scattered raw for the purple

Serves 4 · 30 min

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1 small eggplant (~1 lb), cut into 2″ batons
1 head bok choy (or 4 baby bok choy), stems & leaves separated
2 leeks, white & light-green, sliced & rinsed well
2 carrots, thin coins or matchsticks
~4 cups cooked sushi rice (short-grain), to serve
neutral oil · scallions, cilantro & sesame to finish
The raw purple finish
1 Buena Mulata, slivered (the heat — seed to dial)
1–2 Murasaki, slivered (mild — mostly for color)
The sauce — garlic-ginger (same as the shrimp stir-fry)
3 Tbsp soy sauce or tamari
⅓ cup stock or broth — softens the soy's salt
1 Tbsp oyster sauce — or vegetarian mushroom stir-fry sauce (the umami the meat isn't bringing)
1 Tbsp rice vinegar · 1–2 tsp honey · 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
2 garlic cloves + 1 Tbsp grated ginger
1½ tsp cornstarch, whisked into the broth — to gloss

Rice first. Rinse the sushi rice until the water runs clear, cook, and let it steam-rest covered — sticky short-grain is the soft landing for all that veg. Keep it plain, or fold in a splash of rice vinegar for brightness.
Sliver the peppers — raw, set aside. Cut the Buena Mulata and Murasaki into thin rings or slivers and leave them off the heat entirely. This is the purple finish; a hot pan would green them in about 90 seconds.
Whisk the sauce. Stir soy, broth, oyster (or mushroom) sauce, vinegar, honey, sesame, garlic, and ginger together; whisk the cornstarch into a little broth and keep it aside for the end. It should read savory, not salty.
Sear the eggplant hard. Rip the wok hot with a good glug of oil; brown the eggplant in a single layer, undisturbed, until deep gold and creamy inside — a splash of water and a quick lid steams the centers tender. Pull it out.
Carrots, then leeks. Stir-fry the carrots first (they're slowest), then add the leeks and cook just to soften — watch them, leeks scorch faster than onion.
Bok choy — stems, then leaves. Add the sliced stems and stir-fry to crisp-tender, then the leaves for the last few seconds, just to wilt.
Bring it together. Eggplant back in; add the sauce, toss to coat, stir in the cornstarch slurry, and let it turn glossy in seconds.
Plate & scatter. Spoon the stir-fry over the sushi rice. Off the heat, strew the raw slivered Buena Mulata and Murasaki over the top with scallions, sesame, and cilantro — purple peppers on white rice, still violet because they never saw the pan.

Steps — tap one to keep your place

1. Rice first. Rinse the sushi rice until the water runs clear, cook, and let it steam-rest covered — sticky short-grain is the soft landing for all that veg. Keep it plain, or fold in a splash of rice vinegar for brightness.

2. Sliver the peppers — raw, set aside. Cut the Buena Mulata and Murasaki into thin rings or slivers and leave them off the heat entirely. This is the purple finish; a hot pan would green them in about 90 seconds.

3. Whisk the sauce. Stir soy, broth, oyster (or mushroom) sauce, vinegar, honey, sesame, garlic, and ginger together; whisk the cornstarch into a little broth and keep it aside for the end. It should read savory, not salty.

4. Sear the eggplant hard. Rip the wok hot with a good glug of oil; brown the eggplant in a single layer, undisturbed, until deep gold and creamy inside — a splash of water and a quick lid steams the centers tender. Pull it out.

5. Carrots, then leeks. Stir-fry the carrots first (they're slowest), then add the leeks and cook just to soften — watch them, leeks scorch faster than onion.

6. Bok choy — stems, then leaves. Add the sliced stems and stir-fry to crisp-tender, then the leaves for the last few seconds, just to wilt.

7. Bring it together. Eggplant back in; add the sauce, toss to coat, stir in the cornstarch slurry, and let it turn glossy in seconds.

8. Plate & scatter. Spoon the stir-fry over the sushi rice. Off the heat, strew the raw slivered Buena Mulata and Murasaki over the top with scallions, sesame, and cilantro — purple peppers on white rice, still violet because they never saw the pan.

Low salt — salt at the end and taste as you go; broth, cheese, and canned goods already bring salt.