Fisherman's Eggplants

Fisherman's eggplant is one of my all time favourite dishes.
The way I make it is not at all authentic, but the flavour is pretty close to the delightful dish I first tried at "Ant's Bistro" on Little Bourke Street.

Here is my version

Ingredients

1 medium eggplant
1 medium red capsicum
4 cloves of garlic (finely sliced)
3 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons of oil (I used olive)
2 tablespoons of light soy (I used a Thai soy which is very flavoursome and less salty)
1 tablespoon of maple syrup
1 cup of water
1 tsp of tapioca flour (cornflour will also work)
1 large red chilli (finely sliced) *optional

Method

1. Cut eggplants and capsicum in thin strips. (Should be slightly thinner than what I have in the picture below, otherwise they take too long to cook.
2. Heat up a large wok, and add oil.
3. Stir fry eggplants and capsicum together for a few minutes, until the eggplants caramelise slightly.
4. Add all other ingredients and simmer for 10-15 minutes until the eggplants are soft, and the sauce has thickened. Stir every few minutes to avoid sticking. If the sauce has dried considerably and your eggplants are still not soft enough, add a bit more water, and continue to simmer. 
5. Serve with steamed rice.