Recipes
Miso Glazed Aubergines
by Iona Berry
4min read
Most of us grew up with meat as the hero of our meals and with vegetables taking up the mere corners of our plates. It can be hard to know where to start if you're trying to flip the script and cook plant based meals that don’t feel like just eating a plate full of sides. Building an exciting, yet satisfying meal around vegetables - whether that’s a bunch of carrots or a humble head of cauliflower - can sometimes feel like a little daunting and underwhelming task.
Our new series, Veg and Two Veg is here to tackle just that and to explore all of the ways in which every day vegetables can be the star of the table without sacrificing flavour or heartiness. Whether you’re cooking for one or cooking for a bunch, these recipes will fill your table with vibrant, deeply flavoured and satisfying dishes that you’ll be making on repeat.
A classic dish which we could happily eat any night of the week. These miso glazed aubergines are packed full of intense flavour and an umami kick that makes these impossible to put down.
I have trialled a lot of different cooking methods but I believe I have landed on the perfect method. When I was only roasting the aubergines, they were often not cooked through in the way that I liked and often turned too dark during the roasting time. As the sauce has sugar in, it can caramelise (or even burn) quite easily, so that’s why I only had the sauce right before going under the grill for a few minutes. It’s important that you have a frying pan that you can fit a lid on, as this ensures the aubergine cooks evenly.
I love to serve these miso glazed aubergines served with sticky rice, on top of a noodle dish or with a smashed cucumber salad for a lighter dinner. They are incredibly quick and easy to make, but are sure to impress!
Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
10 mins
Serves
4
Ingredients
Aubergines & marinade:
2 medium aubergines, cut in half
60g miso paste (I used white)
1 heaped tbsp ginger, minced
1 tbsp sugar (brown or molasses works great)
1 tbsp soya sauce
2 tsp sesame oil
2 tbsp mirin
2 tbsp neutral oil (flavourless coconut oil works well as it has a high smoke point)
To serve:
Black and white sesame seeds
Chopped spring onions
Fresh coriander leaves
Dried red chilli flakes
Method
STEP 1
Score the slices of aubergine with a knife by doing diagonal lines one way, and then do the other direction. This creates a lovely pattern on the aubergine and also helps the marinade flavour the whole of the aubergine, so take your time with this.
STEP 2
In a pan over high heat add the oil and put the aubergine skin facing down to the pan. Cook for a 4-5 until the skin has charred, I recommend pressing them down so that you get even heat coverage across and therefore even charring.
STEP 3
Meanwhile in a bowl, mix the miso, sugar, soya sauce, sesame oil, mirin and ginger until thoroughly combined and the sugar has dissolved.
STEP 4
Place the cooked aubergine slices onto your grill tray and then brush the miso dressing evenly over the 4 pieces. Place under the grill for 5 minutes until the aubergines are golden and bubbling. Serve straight away with your garnishes of choice.
By Iona Berry
Iona is our Development Chef, aka our go-to girl for developing, testing and tasting delicious dishes for you to all enjoy at home. When she’s not in the kitchen, you’ll find her either running or cycling, or trying out food markets and new restaurants around London. Continuous market research it would seem.
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