Cantonese style eggplant with chili garlic sauce, with steamed jasmine rice

Rinse and drain the jasmine rice two to three times to remove excess starch.

Add one cup of water, bring to a bubble over medium high, stir, then cover and cook on medium low 15 minutes.

Crush, peel and finely chop the garlic; crush and chop the ginger; de-seed and finely chop the red chili.

Pat the tofu dry and crumble it by hand or mash with a fork.

Stem the eggplants, quarter them lengthways and cut the quarters into thirds.

Over medium heat with a tablespoon of chili oil, saute the crumbled tofu three to four minutes to drive off water and crisp the edges.

Stir in the dark soy sauce to coat and colour the tofu, then set it aside.

In another tablespoon of chili oil over medium heat, lay the eggplant in contact with the pan and sear a minute or two a side for colour, then set aside.

In a teaspoon of avocado oil, saute the garlic, ginger and red chili two to three minutes.

Turn off the heat and let the rice sit another 10 minutes.

Add the tofu, oyster sauce, soy sauce and doubanjiang, then the veggie stock and the eggplant.

Raise to medium high; once it boils, lower to medium, cover and cook about five minutes.

Stir the potato or cornstarch slurry in while stirring so the sauce thickens to a glaze.

Plate the rice, spoon over the eggplant and garnish with fresh cilantro.