Ingredients:

  Amount  Measure       Ingredient -- Preparation Method
--------  ------------  --------------------------------
   3      tablespoons   soy sauce
     1/4  cup           dry sherry or Chinese rice -- wine
   1      tablespoon    white or brown sugar
   1      tablespoon    cider vinegar
   3      tablespoons   cornstarch
   2      tablespoons   peanut oil
   1      medium        onion -- thinly sliced
   1      large         eggplant -- cut into strips,
                        -- thinly
     3/4  teaspoon      salt
   2      tablespoons   minced garlic
   1      tablespoon    minced fresh ginger
     1/4  teaspoon      black pepper
                        cayenne pepper to taste
   3                    cakes firm tofu -- cut into
   8                    scallions: greens minced -- whites in strips
   1      bunch         cilantro -- minced (optional)

Preparation:

SZECHWAN EGGPLANT and TOFU SAUCE: Combine soy sauce, vinegar, sherry, sugar in a liquid-measuring cup. Add enough water to make up to 1 cup. Place cornstarch in a small bowl, pour in the liquid, pour on the liquid and whisk till dissolved. Set aside. Heat a large wok over a high flame. Add oil and onion and stir fry for about a minute. Add eggplant and salt and stir fry for 8 to 10 minutes till the eggplant is soft. Add garlic, ginger and black pepper and cayenne. Cook a few minutes more. Add tofu and scallion bottoms. Stir the bowl of liquid that has been set aside and add to the wok. Mix well and stir fry for another few minutes till the sauce is thickened. Remove from the heat and serve over rice topped with scallion greens and cilantro.