Name: Sticky soy aubergines on gingery peanut fried rice
Total time: 45 min
Yield: Serves 4
Ingredients: 2 large aubergines halved lengthways; 2 tbsp toasted sesame oil plus extra for frying; 5 tbsp kecap manis (see cook's notes); 1 tbsp sambal oelek (see cook's notes); 1/2 tbsp caster sugar; 1/2 lime juiced, plus wedges to serve; 2 echalion (banana) shallots thinly sliced; 1 carrot cut into matchsticks; 2 thumb-sized pieces ginger cut into matchsticks; 4 cloves garlic thinly sliced; 1 red chilli deseeded and thinly sliced; 100g roasted peanuts roughly chopped; 750g cooked basmati rice cold; 2 spring onions thinly sliced; a small bunch coriander

Soy Roasted Aubergines Recipe With Fried Rice

2 large aubergines
halved lengthways
2 tbsp toasted sesame oil
plus extra for frying
5 tbsp kecap manis
(see cook's notes)
1 tbsp sambal oelek
(see cook's notes)
1/2 tbsp caster sugar
1/2 lime
juiced, plus wedges to serve
2 echalion (banana) shallots
thinly sliced
1 carrot
cut into matchsticks
2 thumb-sized pieces ginger
cut into matchsticks
4 cloves garlic
thinly sliced
1 red chilli
deseeded and thinly sliced
100g roasted peanuts
roughly chopped
750g cooked basmati rice
cold
2 spring onions
thinly sliced
a small bunch coriander

Method

step 1
Heat the oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. Cut a diamond pattern into the cut sides of the aubergines, being careful not to cut all the way through. Brush the sesame oil all over the cut sides of the aubergines. Heat a large non-stick frying pan over a medium- high heat and cook the aubergine halves for 10 minutes, cut-side down, until they are charred and soft. Tip into a baking dish cut-side up, whisk together 3 tbsp of kecap manis, the sambal oelek, sugar, lime juice and 3 tbsp water. Pour over the aubergines then put in the oven and roast, turning halfway, for 30 minutes or until the sauce has reduced and the aubergines are very tender.
step 2
For the rice, heat a little more sesame oil in the same pan over a high heat and fry the shallots, carrot, ginger, garlic, three-quarters of the chilli and peanuts for 5 minutes until charring at the edges, then add the cold rice and cook for 10-15 minutes or until the rice is really crispy in places.
step 3
Pour in 2 tbsp of kecap manis and mix well, then tip onto a serving platter. Put the aubergine halves on top, drizzling over any sauce. Scatter over the remaining chilli and peanuts, the spring onions and tear over the coriander to serve.