Sunday, February 06, 2011

Steamed Eggplant Salad

This is my new favourite way to cook an eggplant.

1 large eggplant (or a few of those slender Japanese ones but we don't get them out here)
Sesame oil
Soy
Mirrin or a good sweetish vinegar (white or red balsamic, red wine) or lemon juice
Basil, coriander, flat leafed parsley or mint (I've used all of these with success)
Spring onions
A few tablespoons of sesame seeds

Steam the eggplant - cut in slices and put them in a single layer in a steamer for a couple of minutes (we don't own a steamer big enough so I put them in a single layer in my metal colander which I sit in our largest saucepan). I don't bother salting. It will be soft, soggy and a bit fally aparty when done.
Chop the slices into chunks when cool enough to do so.
While still hot, toss eggplant with sesame oil (you don't need heaps), soy sauce and vinegar or lemon juice to taste. Don't overdo the vinegar.
Toast sesame seeds dry in a nonstick frypan.
Scatter seeds, sliced spring onions and herbs and toss through the salad. Serve warm or cold.

Martin and I have this as part of a bento style meal on a night when the girls might eat a snackplate type meal (say: fishfingers, crudites, bread and butter). I might stirfry some bokchoy (which I would also toss with soy and sesame seeds - hey, I loves them). For protein we might have some tempeh cooked in honey and soy, or a boiled egg or even say a single pork schnitzel sliced thinly and divided between the two of us. Something we always have with it are buckwheat noodles in a broth. We use a spiral instant buckwheat ramen packet that comes with a broth mix. It's delicious and makes plenty for two.

1 comment:

  1. Yum.
    I have discovered a love of grilled lamb forequarter chops, since finding a budget butcher down the road. So it's meat city for us at the moment, but at least I know my haemoglobin levels are great!

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