Ching He Huang’s Kung Pao Eggplant

If you can kung pao chicken, why not eggplant? The popular Sichuan stir-fry dish is typically made with diced chicken, peanuts, and chile peppers, but in this vegan version, wok-charred eggplant cubes take the place of chicken. When tossed in the kung pao sauce, the velvety eggplant soaks up its flavors, becoming sticky, spicy, sweet, and sour. “It’s a warming, comforting midweek meal in minutes,” says TV chef and cookbook author