Fear not the Eggplant! (or the most delicious eggplant you will ever taste)
I love eggplant … in all its forms, all its varieties. I have, however, learned that not everyone shares that love with me.
I’m not sure if its because people have had a horrible childhood experiences with eggplant, leaving them scarred and gun-shy but I do know that many times, when I present people with the option of eggplant on a menu, its a hard sell!
And its a shame! Eggplant doesn’t just taste good, its full of vitamins and minerals, and many healthy properties. Feeling anemic? have some eggplant! Having problems with water retention? have some eggplant! Having problems with your gall bladder? have some eggplant! Feeling ennui of the kidneys? … you get the picture 
And, because eggplants are nutrient, but not calorie dense, they are perfect food for people looking to lose weight or minimize their carb intake (can you say Paleo friendly?!!)
While growing up, I had lots of opportunities to indulge in eggplant parmesan (a delicious cheesy, tomato-ey, eggplant-ey casserole), and thought I knew the many moods of eggplant. Then one day in may later teens, I encountered an entirely new-to-me kind of eggplant preparation — one of my Chinese-Canadian friend introduced me to it at a family dinner one night. I fell in love with the flavour combination at first bite, and it remains one of my favourite ways to prepare eggplant. It’s very simple, and is, in my opinion one of those brilliant examples in Asian cuisine how opposite ends of the flavour spectrum come together in a dish that is oh, so much more than the sum of its parts!
Tonight’s recipe required a bit of improvisation, as we had no Tamari soy sauce. but this version worked equally well! Try it out! It has the benefit of keeping exceptionally well in the fridge, absorbing all the delicious flavours. As leftovers, its delicious warmed or cold. I adore it recreated into rice paper salad rolls, with shredded daikon and cilantro.
Ingredients
- 1 Large eggplant OR 2 Japanese eggplants
- 3 T ketjap manis (Indonesian soy sauce) OR substitute 3 T tamari soy sauce + 1 T brown sugar
- 3 T rice vinegar
- 1 T dark sesame oil
- 1 T white miso
- 1 large clove garlic, minced
- 1 T minced or grated fresh ginger
- 3 scallions, chopped
Instructions
- Combine the ketjap manis through scallions in a medium bowl and set aside while you prepare the eggplant.
- Slice the eggplant crosswise into 3/4" slices. Sprinkle lightly with salt on both sides, and set out on paper towels for 15-20 minutes to extract some of the moisture.
- Heat a sautee pan over medium-high heat and sautee the eggplant slices for 5-6 minutes per side OR grill on a heated BBQ.
- Wnen eggplant is cooked, place directly in the marinade and toss to coat. Let sit in the marinade at least 20 minutes. It can also be prepared a day ahead to marinate overnight in the fridge.
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Soooo yummy tyvm for the recipe