Thai Basil, Beef & Eggplant Stir

Thai Basil, Beef & Eggplant Stir-fry

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Recipe

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

This was a stir-fry I used to eat often growing up because I loved the silky texture of the eggplant (I know… I was a weird kid!). But honestly, I appreciate it even more now as an adult because it’s such an easy, no-fuss dinner. Mince meat means messy meat slicing and the eggplant and basil soak up all that savoury, punchy sauce.

It’s bold, flavourful, and lightning fast—everything I want in a weeknight dinner. Plus, the leftovers taste even better the next day.

Why This Recipe Works

Old-school eggplant prep involved salting the cut eggplant to remove any bitterness. These days, modern eggplants are much milder, so you can skip that step. Sometimes I’ll still salt my eggplant if I want them highly seasoned, but there’s no need here—fish sauce and oyster sauce take care of that!

Can I Make This Meat-free?

Yes! Swap the beef for crumbled tofu or mushrooms and use soy sauce instead of fish sauce.

How Spicy Is This?

Make it as spicy as you like. Use the mild large chillies only if you’d prefer something less punchy. And if you want to dial up the heat, go for as many birds’ eye chillies as you can handle.

Tips

Thai basil is more traditional here but if it’s unavailable, your regular Italian basil will do just fine. I’ve even used mint in a pinch…and that’s whole other delicious deviance!

Spreading your mince out in the pan and allowing it to sear for a few minutes helps to develop caramelised beef flavours that amp up the savouriness of the dish.

What You Need

beef mince

eggplant

vegetable oil

garlic

large mild red chillies

birdseye chillies (optional)

fish sauce

oyster sauce

sugar

thai basil or regular basil

Steps

Heat the oil in a

wok

or large

frying pan

over high heat. Add the beef, spreading it out in the pan so it gets a nice sear. Let it cook undisturbed for 4-5 minutes to develop some caramelisation, then stir-fry until almost cooked through. Add the garlic and stir-fry for 1 minute or until fragrant.

Add the eggplant and chillies and stir-fry for another minute until everything is well combined. Stir through the fish sauce, oyster sauce and sugar. Cover with a

lid

to allow the eggplant to steam. Cook for 2-3 minutes or until the eggplant has softened.

Remove the

lid

. Add the basil leaves and toss until wilted. Remove from heat and serve immediately.

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Thai Basil, Beef & Eggplant Stir-fry

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PREP TIME

10 minutes

COOK TIME

15 minutes

SERVES

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Ingredients

2 tbsp vegetable oil

4 garlic cloves, roughly chopped

500g beef mince

1 eggplant (about 400g), cut into bite-sized chunks

2 large mild red chillies, sliced

2-3 birdseye chillies, sliced (optional)

2 tbsp fish sauce

4 tbsp oyster sauce

1 tsp sugar

1 handful Thai basil or regular Italian basil

Instructions

Stir-Fry the Garlic & Beef