Steamed Aubergine with Sesame and Spring onion

This stunning dish of steamed Aubergine is from Plenty More by Yotam Ottolenghi and is a regular at dinner times at home

Ingredients

• 2 medium aubergines, topped and peeled
• 2 1/2 tsp mirin
• 1/2 tsp sesame oil
• 1 1/2 tsp light soy sauce
• 2 1/2 tsp rice vinegar
• 1 1/2 tsp maple syrup
• 2 tsp peeled and finely chopped fresh root ginger
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 5 spring onions
• 10g toasted black and white sesame seeds
• salt

Method

1. Fill a large pot (with a lid) with water to 1/4 of the way up the sides and bring to the boil. Place the aubergines in a steamer or a colander, set over the water, making sure the water doesn’t touch the base of the steamer. Cover tightly, and steam for 30 minutes, turning once.
2. Once cooked, remove the steamer from the pot and leave the aubergine to cool and drain inside the colander. Shred the flesh by hand into long thin strips 0.5cm wide, and continue to drain for another 20 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, make the dresing. Mix together the mirin, sesame oil, soy sauce, vinegar, maple syrup, and 1/4 tsp salt. Stir through the ginger and garlic and set aside.
4. Once the aubergine is cool, gently toss it with the dressing before adding the spring onion and sesame seeds. Leave to marinate for at least 10 minutes and then serve.