Yellow bean eggplant, toasted almond crunch and curry leaves

For a fine dining experience at home, try this two textured eggplant dish from Nick Holloway that takes burnt eggplant and roasted eggplant and turns it into something special with the magic of yellow bean paste, crispy garlic, shallots, sesame seeds and curry leaves. A dish that'll make your guests exclaim "Oooooh" as soon as it hits the table!

• serves

  2-4

• prep

  25 minutes

• cook

  30 minutes

• difficulty

  Mid

Series. Cooking. Rated PG.

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The Cook Up with Adam Liaw

series • CookingPG

Ingredients

• 1 medium sized eggplant
• 30 g olive oil
• 1 quantity yellow bean relish (see below)
• 35 g roasted almonds, roughly chopped
• 10 g toasted sesame seeds
• 5 g thinly sliced garlic, fried until crisp
• 10 g thinly sliced eschallot, fried until crisp
• 5 g curry leaves, fried until crisp

For the yellow bean relish

• 30 g vegetable oil
• 15 g garlic, finely chopped
• 15 g ginger, finely chopped
• 40 g eschallot, finely chopped
• 35 g long red chilli, deseeded, finely chopped
• 40 g Shaoxing wine
• 55 g yellow bean paste
• 45 g yellow rock sugar
• 40 g water
• 35 g coconut vinegar

For the burnt eggplant

• 1 medium eggplant
• 15 g tahini
• 2 g salt
• 2 g good-quality honey
• ½ lime, juiced 

Resting time: 10 minutes

Instructions

1. To make the burnt eggplant, burn the medium eggplant over an open flame until completely blackened and collapsed. Cut into two pieces, then carefully scoop the flesh out of the skin (you should get around 80 g). Transfer to a medium bowl with the tahini, salt, honey and lime juice and gently mix to combine.
2. Preheat the oven to 200˚C. Cut the second eggplant longways, then score the surface of the flesh in a diamond pattern. Rub the cut surface of the eggplant with the olive oil. Heat a large, heavy-based frying pan and once hot, sear the eggplant cut-side down until browned. Transfer to a baking tray lined with baking paper, then bake for 20 minutes, or until cooked through and very soft. Remove from the oven and allow to cool, cut-side down.
3. While the eggplant roasts, prepare the yellow bean relish. Heat the oil in a heavy-based frying pan, then fry the garlic, ginger, eschallot and chilli until golden, sweet and aromatic. Deglaze the pan with the Shaoxing wine, then stir through the yellow bean paste, rock sugar, water and coconut vinegar. Boil down until thick, shiny and jammy and adjust the seasoning to taste to your preference. Remove from the heat.
4. Flip the roasted eggplant halves over so they are cut side up (they should be golden-brown), then spoon over the yellow bean relish. Return to the oven to warm through.
5. To serve, spoon the burnt eggplant mixture onto a large serving dish. Top with the eggplant, then sprinkle with almonds, sesame seeds, garlic, fried eschallots and curry leaves and serve.

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Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.