This roasted eggplant salad is wonderfully intense, not only from the aromatic crispy garlic and fresh coriander, but also because the roasted eggplants give it a distinctive smoky flavour. The chopped peanuts and sesame seeds add a crunchy texture to the soft flesh, which is dressed with garlic oil, fish sauce and lime juice.
ingredients
2 medium eggplants
2 small shallots, thinly sliced & soaked in cold water
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons peanut oil
garnishes
1 teaspoon dried shrimps, pounded into floss
1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds
1 teaspoon roasted peanuts, chopped
small handful of fresh coriander, chopped
½ lime, juiced
1 tablespoon fish sauce
method
To get that lovely smoky flavour, place the eggplants whole on a flat baking sheet lined with foil. Pierce the eggplants with a knife to stop them bursting during cooking. Place under a hot grill for 15-25 minutes turning them occasionally. Be sure to let the skin colour and char. While the eggplants are grilling, make the crispy garlic and oil. Heat the oil in a small saucepan and fry the garlic until golden and aromatic. Remove with a slotted spoon and cool. Drain the shallots and squeeze them in your hands to remove any water. Pop them in a bowl.
When the eggplants are ready, cool a little until they can be handled. Cut them in half and scoop out the flesh into the bowl. Mix in 1 tablespoon of the frying oil and the garnishes. Taste and adjust the seasoning so there is a balance of salt and sourness. Serve while the salad is still a little warm.
serves: 2
cooking time: 25 mins
This recipe is taken from hsa*ba, Burmese cookbook.
this is indeed a wonderful and intense salad. perfect with tamarind pork and rice.
my favorite salad..my mom made me that yesterday
What a fantastic salad! I made it the other day and it was a wonderful accompaniment to fish curry. I also fried a dry red chilli until crisp and broke it into the salad. That really took it up a notch – if I say somyself!:0)
Hello Cho
I rarely search the web for recipes, but am very happy that I found your website. Almost immediately I tried two of your recipes, this one and that for Beya Kyaw, because all the ingredients were to hand or available straight from my garden where I grow many Asian vegetables.
In this one, I substituted several small Thai eggplants for a single large Aussie one and their nutty taste really complemented the flavours of the other ingredients. So great to eat on a really hot evening! And the Chickpea Fritters tasted even better when rested for a few hours. I used a red onion which added a sweet note to the mix.
I shall definitely try more and will also seek out your book locally. Yum, yum and thank you very much.