Asian Style- Eggplantplant (Aubergine)
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A delicious and easy Asian-style aubergine dish with a healthy turmeric rice side dish.
Aubergine is also well known as an eggplant. It is a delicate, tropical beautiful flowering perennial plant often cultivated in temperate climates. I have several aubergine recipes but this is one of my favorites. I made these pan-fried aubergines and later simmered them by combining ingredients to make a spicy sweet and sour sauce that turned out so delicious and they were full of flavour. Served with turmeric rice it is a perfect vegan and delicious main dish. For more Asian meals why not check out my Asian Bok Choy & Bean Soup or better still a wholesome Easy Thai Jackfruit Curry, Sweet Paprika Spanish-Style Stuffed Eggplants, and Poor Man’s Eggplant Recipe (Berenjenas a lo Pobre) another wonderful eggplant recipe
Key Ingredients to make this delicious exotic dish
- Aubergines
- Soya sauce
- Teriyaki sauce
- Water
- Rice vinegar
- Virgin olive oil from Cal Valls
- Cornmeal
- Toasted sesame seeds
- Chilli pepper
- Garlic cloves
- Salt
- Spring onion
- Fresh parsley
Notes on ingredients
For the complete list of ingredients and measurements with a printable recipe, please see the RECIPE CARD at the bottom of this post.
Aubergines – Once you have washed and sliced the aubergine, sprinkle generously with salt. Leave it for about 20 minutes. This will remove some of the bitterness from the aubergine and bring out some of the moisture so the vegetable doesn’t need as much oil to fry it in.
Soya Sauce – I have used the light version of the soya sauce which has less salt.
Teriyaki Sauce – It gives the dish a salty-sweet tangy flavor.
Rice Vinegar – Has a subtle sweetness which makes it perfect for this recipe.
Virgin Olive Oil – I always use one of the best organic brands from Cal Valls
Cornmeal – Used as a liquid thickener or to make a crispy batter.
Toasted Sesame Seeds – I prefer the taste of the toasted seeds, especially when I mix it with soya sauce.
Chilli Pepper – A little spice is always nice.
Garlic – Plenty of garlic, but just like with the chili, this depends on the desired taste.
Spring Onion – I find it has a milder flavor than the brown onion
Parsley – An ample amount, makes the dish look pretty and brings out the mixed flavors
How to make summary
After having prepared the aubergine, heat some olive oil in a large frying pan. place the sliced aubergine through the cornmeal and fry each slice in the hot oil for 5 minutes. Simmer the aubergine, and add the chili, garlic, vinegar, teriyaki and soya sauce.
Asian Style Aubergine
If you make this delicious dish, I would love for you to leave a rating below and also would love to see your creations, so tag me at @dsihingoutplants on Instagram.
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FAQ
Eggplants or Aubergines, what is the difference?
Maybe you know them as eggplants or you might know them as aubergines, but they are the same plant. The English prefer the Aubergine name, where the word eggplant is very widely used in American English. So that is it! The only difference between the two is the name.
What is Soy Sauce?
Soy sauce sometimes known as shoyu is an Asian condiment and an ingredient that comes in varieties ranging from light to dark brown, and thick to light. It is made from soya beans and involves a lengthy process that can take some years.
First soya beans are cleaned and soaked, often steamed, then mixed with a yeast culture and wheat flour before being fermented for anything up to two years. They are then filtered and bottled.
The history of soy sauce goes back over 2,000 years in China.
The two main types of Chinese soy sauce are as follows:
- The more common one is a very light soy sauce and is light brown with a thin consistency. Light soy sauce contains around (7.2% sodium) and adds salt to a dish but doesn’t stain noodles, in general, it has a much lighter taste.
- The second type is a thick darker brown soy sauce because of the longer fermentation time. Sometimes molasses or sugar might be added which makes it sweeter and less salty than the light soy sauce. Dark soy sauce contains around (9.3% sodium) and has more of an intense flavor and saltiness. It also changes the color of the noodles to the color of the soy sauce.
- Nowadays you can find a regular soy sauce which is a mixture of the two sauces.
Japanese Soy Sauce
Japanese soy sauce is somewhat different from Chinese soy sauce. Usukuchi is light and a lot less salty than Chinese light soy sauce. Tamari is dark, thick, and less salty yet still strong in flavor, and Shoyu has aged anything up to two years with a full strong flavor.
What is Teriyaki Sauce?
Teriyaki sauce is most often used as a marinade for meat, fish, or vegetables. The term “teriyaki” combines two Japanese words: “Teri, meaning luster, and “Yaki”, meaning to grill or broil. Technically a cooking style, teriyaki in the United States generally refers to an associated sauce, which adds salty-sweet tangy flavor usually to grilled meats, fish, tofu, and vegetables. Authentic teriyaki delivers a big hit of salty umami from its simple base of soy sauce and mirin, which is an l sweeter version of sake, a traditional Japanese rice wine.
Asian Style Aubergine
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 medium aubergines
- 50 mil soya sauce
- 50 ml teriyaki sauce
- 200 ml of water
- 1 tablespoons of rice vinegar
- 3 tablespoons of virgin olive oil from Cal Valls
- 30 g of whole cornmeal
- 20 g of toasted sesame seeds
- 1 chilli pepper
- 3 garlic cloves
- Salt
- A medium spring onion
- Fresh parsley
Instructions
- Wash and slice each aubergine into 3 or 4 long strips.
- Sprinkle salt on either side and let sit for 20 minutes, then wipe dry the excess liquid.
- Heat some olive oil in a large frying pan.
- Place the sliced aubergine through the cornmeal and fry each slice in the hot oil for 5 minutes until it’s toasted brown.
- Add the water & simmer for 12 minutes approximately.
- Throw in the chopped garlic and chilli pepper while stirring occasionally.
- Finally add the vinegar, soy & teriyaki sauce. Give it a good stir.
- Turn off the heat, leave for 5 minutes
- Add the sesame, onion & parsley.
Nutrition Profile
The Nutritional information is an estimate and has been calculated automatically per serving, The amount of sodium depends on the salt used.
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