Prep time - 15 minutes

Cook time - 20 minutes

Difficulty - Easy

Serves / makes - 2 portions

Ingredients 

1 cup brown or white basmati rice

2 cups water

Pinch salt

1 large aubergine or 2 small aubergine

2T toasted sesame oil

1T lime juice

1T tamarind paste

1T miso paste

1t brown sugar

1T toasted sesame seeds

3T roasted peanuts

1T toasted sesame seeds

1t coconut sugar

Pinch salt

Pinch chilli flakes

2-3 Spring onions

Pickled ginger (optional)

Equipment

Baking tray

Small bowl

Spoon

Saucepan

Pestle & mortar

Method

1. Heat your oven to 200c/390f/GM6.

2. Cut the aubergine in half lengthwise. Score the flesh with a sharp knife in a cross hatch. Put the aubergine onto a baking tray.

3. Put the sesame oil, lime juice, tamarind paste, miso paste and brown sugar in a small bowl. Mix well, spread the paste over the flesh of the aubergine. Scatter the 1T sesame seeds on top.

4. Bake the aubergine for around 20 minutes, until the flesh is fully cooked. 

5. Put the rice into a saucepan with the water and salt. Bring to the boil then reduce to a simmer, cook for the amount of time specified on the packet. 

6. Roughly grind the peanuts, 1T sesame seeds, 1t coconut sugar, salt and chilli flakes in a pestle and mortar. Finely slice the spring onions. 

7. Once the rice and aubergine are fully cooked, spoon some rice onto a plate, top it with the aubergine, add a generous scattering of the peanut mixture, the spring onions and pickled ginger. 

Tips

• Tamarind paste can be either thin, thick or somewhere in between. If your tamarind paste is thick add a reduced amount to the sauce, then taste it to see if you should add more.