Tom Yummy Aubergine Stack (Asianish Eggplant)

Kip

13 years ago

image of eggplant recipe

I make no secret of the fact that, combined with bright colours and office supplies, I'm a big admirer of aubergine (that's eggplant to some of you). All the best vegetables start with the letter "A" (don't get pedantic about this, kids- I know aubergine is technically a fruit), from artichoke and asparagus to aubergine and avocado. If it weren't for the b-veggies and k-greens I might just be able to survive on the a-list alone.

I accept donations of free pens. Just putting that out there.

Should you choose to anthropomorphise this dish then sure, it would totally be a bit uppity and hot on itself. That's no surprise, what with the Thai influences and the underdog eggplant star; there's a whole heap (pun intended) of undetected cool in this jumble of ingredients.

The TVP packs a strong salt punch, a good pair with the mild smokey eggplant beneath. The lettuce is a texture thing, and the mint combined with the soya protein reminds me slightly of larb. Squeeze a wedge of lime over the whole shebang for a tasty meal that's easier than it looks.

Tom Yummy Asian Aubergine Stack

Serves 2

Ingredients
- 2 medium (about 450g) aubergines
- 1 tablespoon groundnut oil, plus extra for brushing/spraying
- (60 ml) ¼ cup hot water
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon sherry
- 2 teaspoon fresh lime juice, plus lime slices for garnishing
- 2 teaspoon vegetarian tom yum paste
- 1 teaspoon sri racha
- 1 teaspoon agave nectar or sugar
- 40 g (½ cup) fine TVP (textured vegetable protein)
- 20-25 g (scant ¼ cup) chopped coriander leaf/root/stem
- 1 small onion, about 65 g, thinly sliced
- 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoon thick coconut milk or coconut cream
- 1 teaspoon lime juice plus 1 teaspoon agave
- 1-2 tablespoon thinly sliced spring onion
- 2-3 tablespoon mint chiffonade
- a handful or two of shredded lettuce (optional)
- salt and pepper, to taste

Directions/Method
1. Preheat your oven to at least 200 degrees celcius (400 F). Cut the aubergines lengthways into ¼ inch slices, then spray or brush them with oil on both sides. Arrange on two baking trays (use parchment if you'd like to save some tidying time). Bake for 15-20 minutes, keeping an eye out for burning, flipping the eggplant halfway through. They should be lightly browned but not blackened.
2. Combine the 1 tablespoon oil, water, soy sauce, sherry, 2 teaspoon lime juice, tom yum paste, sri racha, and agave/sugar in a small bowl. Tip the TVP (textured vegetable protein) into a wok or large frying pan and pour the liquid over top. Mix to ensure all of the TVP is covered. Leave for 5-10 minutes to soak up the liquid.
3. Turn the heat to medium and add the onion, garlic, and coriander. Stir fry for 8-10 minutes and season with salt and pepper to taste. Turn the heat off and stir in the coconut milk.
4. To serve divide the aubergine into two portions, stacking them on each plate in a lattice-ish formation (or just chuck 'em in a pile). Combine the 1 teaspoon lime juice with 1 teaspoon agave nectar and splash over the eggplant. A pinch or two of flaked salt won't hurt either. Sprinkle the lettuce around the dish and top the aubergine stacks with the TVP. Scatter mint around and over the whole dish, finally topping the plate with some spring onion and a wedge of lime.