Fried aubergine, cucumber, spring onion, white miso dressing
Look for Chinese or Japanese aubergines and cucumbers for this irresistibly good plant-based recipe.
Ingredients
For the fried aubergine
- 2 aubergines (Chinese or Japanese)
- plain flour, for dusting
- oil, for deep frying
- salt, to taste
For the cucumber
- 4 cucumbers (Chinese or Japanese)
- 150ml/5fl oz white wine vinegar
- 50ml/2fl oz light soy sauce
- 100²µ/3½´Ç³ú caster sugar
- pinch chilli flakes
For the white miso dressing
To serve
- 1 bunch spring onion, sliced
- ½ bunch fresh coriander, leaves only
- ½ bunch fresh mint, leaves only
- 10²µ/â…“o³ú black sesame seeds
Method
To make the fried aubergine, cut the aubergine lengthways, then cut it into 5cm/2in pieces. Place in a colander, season with salt and leave for 2–3 hours.
For the cucumber, cut the cucumber into 5mm/¼in rounds. Bring the vinegar, soy sauce, sugar and chilli to the boil in a small pan, remove from the heat and then add the cucumber. Set aside.
To make the white miso dressing, mix all the ingredients together in a bowl and add a splash of water to bring to a thick sauce consistency.
When you are ready to cook the aubergine, preheat a deep fat fryer to 180C. (CAUTION: hot oil can be dangerous. Do not leave unattended.) Dry the aubergine on kitchen paper and dust with flour. Cook in the deep fat fryer for 2–3 minutes. Carefully remove using a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper.
To serve, spoon some of the miso dressing on a plate, add the fried aubergine and pickled cucumber. Garnish with the spring onion, mint, coriander and black sesame seeds.