MEET YOUR NEW MUSTMAKE VEGILICIOUS SIDES OR MEAT-FREE MEALS

STICKY SOY EGGPLANT ON GINGERY PEANUT FRIED RICE

You won’t miss the usual meat or seafood in your fried rice with this terrifically tasty vegie version, bursting with the flavours of fried and roasted eggplant.

Preparation time 10 mins Cooking time 40 mins Serves 4

2 large eggplants, halved lengthways

1 Tbsp sesame oil

1/4 cup kecap manis, plus 2 Tbsp extra 1 Tbsp sambal oelek

2 tsp caster sugar

1/2 lime, juiced, plus wedges, to serve

1/4 cup water

2 Tbsp vegetable oil

2 eschalots, thinly sliced

1 carrot, cut into matchsticks 5cm piece of ginger, cut into

matchsticks

4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

1 long red chilli, deseeded

and thinly sliced

100g roasted peanuts, roughly

chopped

750g cooked basmati rice, cold Sliced long green shallots, and

coriander leaves, to serve

STEP 1 Preheat oven to 180 C fan-forced (200 C conventional). Cut a diamond pa ern into cut sides of eggplant, being careful not to cut all the way through. Brush sesame oil over cut sides of eggplant. Heat a large, non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat and cook eggplant halves for 10 minutes, cut-side down, until charred and so€. Transfer to a baking dish cut-side up.

STEP 2 Combine kecap manis, sambal oelek, sugar, lime juice and water in a bowl. Pour over eggplant and roast, turning halfway, for 30 minutes, until sauce has reduced and eggplant is very tender.

STEP 3 Meanwhile, heat vegetable oil in same pan over high heat and fry eschalot, carrot, ginger, garlic, three-quarters of the chilli and peanuts for 5 minutes, until charred at the edges, then add cold rice and cook for 10-15 minutes, or until rice is really crispy in places. Stir in extra kecap manis.

STEP 4 Top fried rice with eggplant, and sprinkle with remaining chilli and peanuts, green shallots and coriander leaves. Serve.