Happy New Year and Happy Veganuary! You're in for a treat with this sticky Sesame aubergine and oyster mushrooms with toasted peanuts and spring onions, served with Jasmine rice and quick-pickled cucumber.
This is my ultimate fake-away recipe, if they served this in a local restaurant I'd always be ordering it. It's sticky, sweet, salty and with a little kick of spice - absolutely packed with flavour - the aubergine is melt in your mouth, the oyster mushrooms perfectly chewy and the peanuts add that bit of crunch.
The aubergine is coated in a garlic and chili paste before being roasted, a silky soft texture on the inside with a little char on the outside. Roasting is my favourite way to cook aubergine, guaranteeing it's cooked through, everytime. This is a super easy meal, to be enjoyed at any time, throughout the week or weekend too. The Jasmine rice compliments the intense flavour of the dish and the sharp , quick-pickled cucumber cuts through those sticky sweet and salty flavours. It really is a perfect combination!
Oyster mushrooms have a fair bit of fibre, key for your digestion as well as iron for red blood cell formation and subsequently our energy levels, potassium for our fluid balance and niacin - which helps us to convert our food into energy. Despite the name, peanuts are actually legumes - the same family as beans and chickpeas, so its no surprise that they're rich in many vitamins and minerals, as well as containing plenty of fibre and a good amount of protein too.
Sesame Aubergine & Oyster Mushrooms | Serves: 4 | Time: 35-40 mins
You'll need
- Baking tray
- Greaseproof paper
- Chopping board
- Knife
- Measuring cups & spoons
- Wok
- Saucepan
- Large mixing bowl
- Small mixing bowl x2
Ingredients
Sesame Aubergine:
- 2 large aubergines
- 2 tbsp garlic chili paste
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
Oyster Mushrooms:
- 300g oyster mushrooms
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp garlic chili paste
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tbsp cornflour
- 2 tbsp water
Quick-pickled Cucumber:
- 1 cucumber
- 3 tbsp rice wine vinegar
- Good pinch salt
- Pinch sugar
- Pinch chili flakes
To Serve:
- 3 cups cooked Jasmine rice
- 1/4 cup roasted, crushed peanuts (unsalted)
- 4 spring onions, sliced
- 2 tbsp black & white sesame seeds
- 3 cups cooked Jasmine rice
- 1/4 cup roasted, crushed peanuts (unsalted)
- 4 spring onions, sliced
- 2 tbsp black & white sesame seeds
Method
- Pre-heat the oven to 200°C fan and line a baking tray with grease-proof paper.
- Cut the aubergine lengthways in half and each piece in half again to quarter the aubergine. Slice each piece into 3-4 cm wedges and if they're very large, cut the wedges in half again.
- In a large mixing bowl, using your hands coat the aubergine in the garlic chili paste and sesame oil until evenly coated, spread the pieces out on the baking tray, wedge side up and roast for 20-25 minutes, until melt in the middle and a little charred on the outside.
- Meanwhile, prep the quick-pickled cucumber. Mix the vinegar, salt, sugar and chili flakes together, slice the cucumber into batons and combine in the bowl. Mix every so often to ensure the vinegar is evenly distributed, drain before serving.
- Once the aubergine has had 15 minutes cooking, heat up the wok and add a splash of sesame oil, tear up the mushrooms into strips and add to the wok, stir fry for 3-5 minutes on a medium heat.
- Meanwhile, mix together the soy sauce, garlic chili paste, maple syrup, cornflour and water in a small bowl. Add the sauce to the wok and let it thicken slightly, then toss in the roasted aubergine and stir to combine.
- Serve the oyster mushrooms and aubergines with Jasmine rice, garnish with roasted crushed peanuts, spring onions and sesame seeds, with a side of the quick pickled cucumber and enjoy!
Cassidy xx
