I first tried miso-glazed aubergine about two years ago at Uma Nota, a Brazilian-Japanese fusion restaurant in Hong Kong. And I couldn’t stop thinking about it.

It’s taken me this long to try and make it myself, and I can’t believe I waited this long. It’s so easy, and so delicious. Meat-lovers and vegetarians alike would love it.

I’ve been doing a lot of easy vegetarian meals during the week, or prepping on weekend, but like I mentioned in my previous post, there not always the prettiest to photograph.

I’m working on it, I promise, and I hope to have an extensive vegetarian collection up before the summer holidays start in just 4 weeks!! Time is, as it does every year, flying by now, and I can’t believe we’re at the end of another school year.

Anyway, back to this aubergine. I found some “Western” aubergine for this recipe, because Asian aubergines are long and thin, but either one would work. The shorter length of the “Western” variety means it fit into my frying pan easier, but I have also made this recipe with Asian aubergine.

The diversity of this dish is immense. I’ve had with other roasted veggies and cous cous, with rice, in a tortilla wrap, and as a side to tofu and meat dishes. It can be eaten with anything.

Plus, it is so easy and with only 5 ingredients, you can’t go wrong. If you don’t have a broiler/grill, you could carry out the final stages with a blow torch, or with direct flame from a stove-top. The flame is just to make the miso paste bubbly and charred.

Ingredients

2 aubergines, sliced in half lengthways
2 tbsp olive oil
70 grams white miso paste
2 tbsp rice vinegar
1 tsp sugar

1. Score the flesh of the aubergines in a criss-cross shape.
2. Add the olive oil to a frying pan over medium heat. Place the aubergine in the pan skin-side-down. Cook for 3 -4 minutes until the skin starts to turn brown.
3. Turn the aubergine over and cover with a lid. Cook for 5 minutes, until the aubergine is cooked through. Remove from the heat.
4. In a small bowl, mix the remaining ingredients. Brush the flesh of the aubergine with the miso mix.
5. Turn the grill/broiler up to high, and place the aubergine under the grill for 5 minutes until the miso is bubbling and starting to char.
6. Serve immediately.