Aubergine in mirin, soy, garlic and ginger is a tasty Japanese side dish which perfectly accompanies lamb cutlets in Korean spices and baby spinach salad (see recipes) but also holds its own as a vegetarian dish.
Ingredients
- 2 aubergines
- Vegetable oil, for brushing
- 40ml mirin (see Tip)
- 40ml soy sauce
- 1 tbsp grated fresh ginger
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- Good pinch of shichimi togarashi pepper (see Tip) or mild chilli powder
Method
- 1. Preheat the oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. Halve each aubergine lengthways, then cut each half into 4. Slash each piece, not too deep, on the flesh side in a criss-cross pattern. Brush all over with oil, transfer to a roasting tin and season. Cook for 20 minutes, turning halfway, until golden and tender. Drain on kitchen paper.
- 2. In a large frying pan, heat the mirin, soy sauce, ginger and garlic over a medium-low heat. Add the aubergine, skin-side down, and braise for 10-15 minutes or until the bottoms are really dark. Remove from the heat and set aside for 5 minutes. Transfer to a serving plate and sprinkle with the shichimi pepper to serve.
Nutritional info
Per serving: 61kcals, 3.3g fat (0.4g saturated), 2.1g protein, 3.8g carbs, 2.3g sugar, 1.5g salt
Chef's tip
Most larger supermarkets stock sake, mirin and pickled ginger. For unusual ingredients, such as miso paste, visit Japanese food stores, health food stores or Wing Yip (wingyip.com), which has stores in Birmingham, Manchester and London. Other Japanese ingredients (gochujang paste, black sesame seeds, shichimi togarashi and green tea powder) are available from the Japan Centre, 212 Piccadilly, London W1J 9HX. If you’re not in London, Japan Centre has a good website, visit (japancentre.com) for mail order.