I love this dish- it's simple to make and tastes great: a savoury aubergine that melts in your mouth. I remember it being on our kitchen table and can see why it was something my mom made often. Whilst it has just 5-6 ingredients I found it tricky to make because the key is cooking the aubergine just right! You want it soft and silky but not mushy.
Cooking time: 45 min of which 15 min active
What you need:
Aubergine (Eggplant): 1 shiny, firm medium
Sea Salt: 1/4 tsp (1 pinch to 1/2 tsp depending on how much salt you like)
Soy Sauce: 1 tsp (Dark Soy works well here too)
Sesame Seed Oil: 1 tsp
Sesame Seeds: 1 pinch
Spring Onion: 1 sprig (optional)
Oil: 1 Tbsp for frying. Any type of vegetable oil will work well
Cooking tools: Frying pan with Lid, Medium Bowl
What to do:
Wash & chop Aubergine into finger size pieces in width and length like thick chips. First cut the Aubergine into blocks of 3 inches then cut each block length wise 1 cm wide both ways. Put them into a medium sized bowl and add Sea Salt. Depending on how salty (or not!) you like your food, this can be between a pinch to 1/2 tsp. I used 1/4 tsp and thought it was perfect but we don't eat a lot of salt. Toss the Aubergine in Salt and set aside for 20 minutes. The Aubergine will 'sweat' and become shiny with a little bit of water on its surface. The colour may change a little on the white parts which is normal.
Meanwhile, if you are using Spring Onion then wash and chop into blocks about 2-3 inches long. Cut the white parts in half. Set aside.
Heat the frying pan and add 3/4 Tbsp of Oil on high heat. When the Aubergine has been presalted for 20 min, add to the hot frying pan and stir. Cook for 5-10 minutes stirring occassionally, making sure that the Aubergine doesn't burn. Add the white part of the Spring onions, cover the pan with a lid and reduce heat to Medium. Let cook for 5-7 minutes. Uncover to check the Aubergine, they should be about 75-80% cooked, with some peices soft already. Add the rest of the Spring onion. Stirring occasionally, add a little bit more Oil (the remaining 1/4 Tbsp) if you think the Aubergine looks a bit dry or is starting to burn. Cook until all the pieces are done - they should be a little shiny and soft but not to the point where they are mushy. If needed, cover the Aubergine for a few more minutes. From my experience total cooking time takes about 20 minutes. Take the pan off the heat before seasoning. I like to put everything in a separate bowl to season but you can season in the pan as well. To season, add Sesame Oil and Soy Sauce. Sprinkle a pinch of Toasted Sesame Seeds to serve. Enjoy immediately!
This dish makes a great main with a bowl of steamed rice. It is also a tasty side dish to any meal. This dish also tastes great at room temp. Store any leftovers in the fridge.
Enjoy!
