As a chili lover, I like to keep it simple and top grilled eggplant strips with chili jam!
Eggplant on its own is no fun, as it doesn’t have much of a taste by itself. Italians like to grill it or bake it with cheese, Middle Eastern people like to mash it into a dip and serve it with pita bread, and Chinese people like to deep fry it or add it to a stew with meat and chili. As a chili lover, I like to keep it simple and top grilled eggplant strips with sweet chili jam! And rather than treating it as a side dish, I transform it into a one-plate meal served on a bed of seasoned wild rice, which gives a crunch to each bite. This vegan/vegetarian dish is ready in about 45 minutes, from chopping to plating.
Serves 2
Ingredients
- 2 medium eggplants cut into thumb-sized stripes (peeled or not, depending on your preference)
- 1/2 cup each of mixed wild rice and red rice (or quinoa or another type of whole grain of your choosing)
- Vegetable oil
- Sesame oil
Chili jam:
- 3 tbsp runny honey
- 1 tbsp Guilin chili sauce or your favourite Chinese chili sauce
- 2 tsp unseasoned rice vinegar
Before serving:
- Fresh coriander leaves for garnish
- 1 stalk of scallion, trimmed and finely sliced
Recipe Preparation
Preheat oven to 180℃.
Trim and peel eggplants (if preferred) and cut into thumb-sized strips. Add them to a colander and sprinkle with salt, tossing to coat. Let eggplant sit and sweat for about 10-15 minutes. Pat dry with kitchen paper and set aside.
Rinse rice under running water, then transfer to a small saucepan with how much water?and bring to a boil. Turn heat down to medium, cover, and cook rice for about 30-40 minutes or until soft but still al dente. Use a spoon to toss rice with 1 tsp of sesame oil and season with salt. Cover, set aside, and keep warm.
Put eggplant on a non-stick baking tray and toss with 2 tbsp of vegetable oil and 1 tsp of sesame oil. Bake in oven for 25-30 minutes or until soft and browned all over. Remove from oven and keep warm with tin foil.
To Make Chili Jam:
Put all ingredients together in a small bowl and mix well. Set aside.
Assemble:
Place mixed rice on the bottom of a shallow bowl, then add roasted eggplants evenly on top of rice. Sprinkle with fresh coriander leaves and chopped scallion, then drizzle with chili jam.
