Another vegan recipe using familiar ingredients.
Like the mushrooms with sesame oil and soya sauce, these aubergines use the same core flavourings of sesame oil, garlic and soya sauce. This is why whenever I make the mushrooms, I make the aubergines as well. It is almost like make one get one free. The only additions are gochugaru (Korean crushed dried pepper) for some chilli heat and spring onions for garnishing.
Asian aubergines, the ones you can find in Oriental supermarkets, are thinner and longer. The regular aubergines we find in supermarkets are fatter, rounder and filled with more seeds. I have used regular aubergines as I do not often venture into Chinatown. If you use Asian aubergines, then you will need 3 or 4 as an equivalent, depending on how big the aubergines are.
For the Steamed Aubergine:
2 regular aubergines, sliced into large finger-sized pieces
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon sesame oil
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon gochugaru
2 spring onions, tips removed and finely sliced
2 teaspoons toasted white sesame seeds
How to Make:
Place the sliced aubergines into a steamer basket or rack and steam for around 15 minutes until the flesh feels soft and no longer spongy.
While the aubergines are steaming, place the soya sauce, sesame oil, garlic and gochugaru into a large bowl and whisk lightly.
When the aubergines are ready and slightly cooled, squeeze out as much water as you can. Sometimes I leave the aubergines to drain in a colander and sometimes I place the aubergines in a muslin bag and wring out the water. This is very therapeutic but your hands get a bit slimy in the process.
When the aubergines are ready, simply place them into the bowl with the sauce/ dressing and mix it all up.
Sprinkle the sesame seeds and spring onions over the aubergines before serving.
Prepare the oil, garlic, soya sauce and sesame seeds and set aside
You will also need gochugaru for chilli heat and spring onions for garnishing
Cut the aubergine into thick strips before steaming until soft
The finished dish
