Miso Aubergine
These miso aubergines are one of the best ways to cook aubergines. Imagine silky soft aubergines, infused with the most addictive sweet and salty miso marinade, all finished off with a sprinkling of warming chilli, crunchy sesame seeds and fresh coriander. So good…
Servings: 4 servings as a side
Ingredients
For the miso aubergine:
- 2 small aubergines
- Sesame oil for brushing
- 2 tsp white miso paste
- 1 tbsp tamari sauce
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tbsp olive oil
To garnish:
- Cooked rice
- Toasted sesame seeds
- 1 red chilli deseeded (if wished) and finely chopped
- Fresh coriander
- Lime cut into wedges
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200C / 180C Fan.
- Slice the aubergines in half from top to bottom, then slice criss cross slits into the flesh - you want to go quite deep, but not actually cut the aubergine into pieces. Brush the flesh generously with sesame oil.
- Place a large non-stick frying pan over a medium heat and place the aubergines flesh-side-down in an even layer. Fry for about 3-5 minutes, or until golden, then flip and fry on the other side for a further 3 minutes - or until just starting to collapse.
- Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix together the miso paste, tamari sauce, maple syrup and olive oil until combined.
- Once the aubergine slices are golden on both sides, remove from the pan and place onto a large non-stick baking sheet in a single layer. Brush with the marinade and pop in the preheated oven for about 20 minutes or until the flesh is soft and sticky with an almost ‘custardy’ texture. The exact time will depend on the size of your aubergines.
- Remove from the oven and leave to stand for 2 minutes.
- To serve: scoop your cooked rice into serving bowls and top with the miso aubergine. Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds, chilli and fresh coriander. Serve with wedges of lime. Enjoy!
Notes
Scroll up for a helpful step by step guide with images to help with this recipe.
To store: any leftovers can be kept left to cool completely before being covered and chilled for up to 3 days.
To reheat: these miso aubergine are delicious hot or cold. If you want to reheat, pop into a loosely covered microwave-proof container and heat for 2-4 minutes - or until piping hot all the way through. I like to do mine in bursts so it doesn’t overcook. Alternatively, place onto a baking sheet, cover with foil and roast in the oven at 200C/180C Fan for about 10-15 minutes - or until hot all the way through.
To freeze: I don’t recommend freezing these miso aubergine as it impacts the texture of the aubergine.
Aubergine: I use fairly small aubergines here. You can actually get baby aubergines which are even smaller, or you can use regular full-size aubergines. Any will work, you just need to adjust the cooking time and amount of marinade (obviously bigger aubergines will take longer and need more marinade).
Make it spicy: I garnish these miso aubergine with sliced chilli, but feel free to drizzle with crispy chilli oil. You can also add a pinch of smoked paprika, chilli powder or cayenne pepper to the miso marinade.
All about the crunch: a sprinkling of toasted sesame seeds adds a gorgeous nutty flavour and crunchy texture. You can swap for toasted roughly chopped peanuts or cashews if you prefer.
Serving suggestions: these miso aubergine are delicious as a vegan main on top of rice or noodles. Alternatively, enjoy as a starter/mezze on whipped yoghurt (often I stir through herbs, tahini and/or harissa for a spicy kick) or garlic labneh.