20-Minute Sticky Miso Aubergine

Hungry? I sure am. This is one of my favourite recipes, it's quick, ridiculously easy and tailorable to your own tastes and mood. Spicy? Sweet? Umami? It's up to you. To preface, I'm not going to claim this is the most traditional, or authentic recipe, or even the most groundbreaking, but it is my take on the dish, and it is very tasty. This recipe got me through so many long days of torturous essay writing whilst at university, days where I finished work and was desperately hungry but exhausted to my core, and those days where I just needed a bowl of comfort. I hope you love it as much as I do. 

Ingredients: 

• Aubergine

• Miso (I like Itsu miso paste sachets for this recipe)

• Honey

• MSG

• White Pepper

• Soy Sauce

• Green Onion

• Chilli (fresh or dried chilli flakes work, and if you fancy chilli oil) 

• Aubergine

• Sesame Oil

• Sesame seeds 

• Short Grain Rice (Sushi Rice)

Optional: Firm Tofu 

1. First off, you’re going to want to prep your marinade. Take a sachet of miso paste, or two teaspoons if yours is jarred. I’d recommend doing this all in a large bowl to avoid unnecessary washing up. Next, you’ll want two teaspoons of honey. Any honey will do. If you like your dish a little sweeter, feel free to add as much as your heart desires. Add a teaspoon of sesame oil, a pinch of white pepper, MSG and a tablespoon of light soy sauce.

   
   

2. Next, you’re going to want to add 3 cloves of garlic. Feel free to adjust this based on your own preference. I love garlic and find it pairs beautifully with this dish. Follow this with half a roughly chopped brown onion and a handful of the green parts of spring onions. I recommend chopping these into about half-inch pieces for a nice texture in the dish. Toss this all into your marinade along with a teaspoon of sesame seeds. I prefer white sesame for this dish, but either will work.

   
   

3. Give your marinade a nice mix, making sure to incorporate everything thoroughly. Add 75ml of water. This will help your sauce not evaporate in the pan and soak into the aubergine nicely. Don’t worry, as the aubergine cooks, the sauce becomes thick and sticky.

   
   

4. Take your aubergine and roughly chop it into cubes about half an inch in size. If you prefer larger chunks, go ahead; it’s entirely your preference. Just remember, this will take a little longer to cook.

   
   

5. Add your aubergine into your sauce, making sure it’s evenly coated.

   
   

6. Now, you can either stick this concoction in your fridge and leave it to marinate, or if you’re hungry and feeling impatient, go ahead and stick it in a frying pan over a medium heat. I leave mine to cook for about 15 minutes, but as long as your aubergine is soft and slightly translucent, it should be cooked. Make sure to stir occasionally. Towards the end, if you are not satisfied with the thickness of your sauce, you can increase the heat temporarily, making sure to watch carefully and stir often.

   
   

7. Whilst your aubergine is cooking, it’s time to tackle your rice. I’m not judging if you use microwave rice, it’s easy and quick, go ahead. But for those of us who have either been blessed with a rice cooker or want to do it the hard way on the stove, here’s what I do. First off, you’ll want to measure out your rice. I recommend a ratio of rice to water of 1:1.25, but please feel free to follow the instructions on the packet of your rice. Make sure you wash your rice. I usually spend a couple of minutes on this until the water runs mostly or entirely clear. Now, if you’re cooking on the stove, add your rice to a saucepan, pour in your measured water and place it over a medium heat until the water begins to simmer. Then cover the rice with a lid, drop the heat to low, wait 15 minutes and turn your stove off. Leave the rice covered for a further 5 to 10 minutes to allow it to steam.

   
   

8. Now your aubergine is ready, your rice is ready, and it’s time to plate up. Cut some extra spring onion, this time sliced nice and small. Grab some chilli in whatever form is your favourite, chilli oil, fresh chilli, chilli flakes, etc, and spice the miso aubergine up to your heart’s desire. Plate however you fancy. I like to layer my aubergine over the rice, but anything works.

   
   

9. Enjoy!