Dinner with Rukmini
Browse all of the recipes in Rukmini Iyer’s cookbooks by ingredient.
One-tin Korean-style Aubergines with Spring Onions and Sesame Rice
A simple vegan midweek dinner made in one tin with aubergines and rice cooked in Korean-inspired flavours.
From the book
The Roasting Tin Around The World
Easy one-dish dinners inspired by flavours from around the world
Leave the hard work to the oven with minimal prep and less washing up
From easy midweek dinners to simple bakes and desserts
Introduction
In the traditional Korean dish, aubergines are steamed for just 7 minutes before you gently stir in the red pepper and sesame dressing. In this version, I let the oven steam the aubergines, while fresh basmati rice and cabbage cook underneath for a simple and filling all-in-one dish. Gochugaru, or Korean red pepper flakes, are easily available online, at specialist shops, and even miraculously on Amazon – they really make the dish, and once you have a jar, you’ll find yourself scattering the flakes on everything (scrambled eggs are my favourite).
Ingredients
| 200g | basmati rice, rinsed |
| 2 | cloves of garlic, unpeeled |
| 2 | leeks, or 1 small Chinese cabbage, thinly sliced |
| 400ml | vegetable stock |
| 1 tbsp | sesame oil |
| 2 | aubergines, cut into 1½ cm slices |
| 1 tsp | sea salt flakes |
| 3 | fat spring onions, very thinly sliced |
| 1 tbsp | sesame seeds |
| For the dressing: | |
| 15g | Korean red pepper flakes (gochugaru) |
| 30ml | sesame oil |
| 30ml | rice vinegar |
| 30ml | soy sauce |
| 5cm | ginger, grated |
| 1 | clove of garlic, finely grated |
Method
Preheat the oven to 210°C fan/230°C/gas 8.
Tip the rice and garlic into a wide lidded casserole dish or a medium roasting tin, then evenly cover with the sliced leeks or Chinese cabbage. Pour over the vegetable stock and sesame oil, then lay the aubergines over the top in one layer. Scatter over the sea salt, cover with the lid or very tightly with foil (this is important or the rice won’t cook properly), then transfer to the oven and bake for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, mix the dressing ingredients together. As soon as you take the tin out of the oven, remove the lid or foil and dress the aubergines with the red pepper dressing. Scatter over the spring onions and sesame seeds and serve hot.
