members recipes

The latest Asian Fusion recipe from Mango Ginger: www.mango-ginger.blogspot.com

A delicious dip - like the middle-eastern baba ganoush but with a south east Asian flare. Great as a starter, snack or nibbles with drinks

Time: 40 mins
Rating: Easy
Serves: 4-6 as a starter or snack

Ingredients
2 medium aubergines (or eggplants if you’re American)

2 small shallots

2 garlic cloves

1 ½ tbsp vegetable oil

1 tsp sesame oil

1 tsp sesame seeds

2 tsp peanuts (roasted, salted)

Small handful of fresh coriander leaves

Juice of half a lime

1 tsp fish sauce or soy sauce as a vegetarian equivalent



Flat bread or vegetable crudités to serve

Method
1. Start by cooking your aubergines. Prick the aubergines all over with a fork or skewer (this will stop the skin bursting later) and place on a baking sheet under a hot grill. Allow the skin to char and turn them over to cook the other side. Cook them for about 30 mins in total, rotating them regularly until they are blackened all around and soft all the way through. Remove from the grill and allow to cool.
2. While the aubergines are cooking, prepare your other ingredients. Cut the shallots in half lengthways and then very thinly slice them, width-ways. Finely chop the peanuts. Lightly toast the sesame seeds in a pan – over a medium heat with no oil, stirring frequently. Finely chop the coriander.
3. Prepare your garlic. Slice the garlic cloves width-ways as thinly as possible. Combine the two oils and heat in a small frying pan. When the oil is hot add the garlic slices and fry them, stirring constantly to make sure both sides cook evenly. As soon as they turn golden brown remove them from the heat and take them out of the oil. If you burn them at all they will taste bitter. Keep the oil aside, you’ll need it later.
4. When the aubergines have cooled slice them in half lengthways with a knife and open them up. Remove the main clusters of seeds (but don’t worry about removing all the seeds) and scoop out the flesh into a bowl with a tablespoon.
5. Mash the flesh (it’s up to you how smooth or chunky you want it), adding a tablespoon of the garlic oil. Stir in the fish sauce, lime juice, shallots, sesame seeds, peanuts, chopped coriander and half of the fried garlic. Transfer to your serving dish and sprinkle over the remaining garlic.