Eggplant must be one of the most versatile and international vegetables out there. From Europe to the Middle East and Asia, every region has their own variety and way of preparing it. I tend to slap it on the bbq brushed with olive oil and herbs because, let’s be honest, this is probably the easiest solution. But things took another turn this week, when I decided to make my own Hoisin sauce (see post here). I felt inspired and a gave a Far East twist to the eggplants aging in our fridge – and it turned out utterly delicious.
So a few cooking tips….
- Getting this veg to be perfectly roasted on the outside and melt-in-your-mouth on the inside is a little tricky. Forget rubbing it with salt and letting it sweat in a colander like it’s advised in a lot of recipes, my mom taught me a better way. Fry it with some oil on highish heat and then cover it. Don’t look at it – otherwise you’ll see that all the oil will be absorbed and feel compelled to add more – and that will just result in a big oily mess. Just cover them and trust the process in the instructions below. The oil will get absorbed, but if you wait long enough, it will come right back out – just around the time the slices brown and need to be flipped over. Really. Just trust me on this one.
- Please oh please don’t overcrowd the pan – first of all, it will not save any time; second, they will steam and get soggy.
You can serve this as a side to grilled prawns, meat or poultry. It is also excellent on top of fluffy white rice and some extra hoisin on the side if you are in a meatless Monday kinda mood.
Serves 4 as a side
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup Homemade Hoisin sauce
- 2-3 medium-sized eggplants, cut into long strips the size of fat french fries (1/2 inch thick)
- 1/4 cup of odorless coconut oil or peanut oil
- 1 tbsp sesame seeds
- 1 tbsp chives, chopped
Instructions
- Heat half or a third of the oil on a high heat – right before it hits the smoking point, toss in 1/3 of the eggplant. You have to make 3 batches at time because if you put all the eggplant at the same time it will get soggy as it cooks (see tip in the intro). Leave on highish heat and cover for 3 minutes.
- Take the lid off and check to see if the face-down part of your eggplant is browned nicely; if so, toss the pieces around for 1 minute or so and add half the Hoisin sauce.
- Arrange the eggplant on a large plate and repeat with the other half
- Sprinkle with sesame seeds and chives before you serve
