A truly amazing vegetarian main course. Frying the eggplant in good olive oil gives it a tremendous amount of flavor and a lighter, less greasy experience than many alternatives. Absolutely fantastic.
Ingredients (4 persons):
Miso mayonnaise:
*8 el kewpie
*2 tsp miso
*1 tsp agave syrup
Herb mix:
*1 tbsp black sesame seeds
*1 tbsp white sesame seeds
*1 tbsp furikake
*zest of 0.5 orange
*1 tsp chili flakes
Basil oil:
*100 ml Topika Original Olive Oil
*2 handfuls of basil
Tempura batter:
*80 g flour
*80 g cornstarch
*1 (cold) egg M
*160 ml (ice-cold) sparkling water
*pinch of salt
Other:
*4 eggplants
*Topika Original Olive Oil
Preparation method:
1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees.
2. Prick the eggplants, drizzle with olive oil, wrap in aluminum foil (this will steam them), and bake for about 50-60 minutes (depending on your oven) until the eggplant is super soft, turning occasionally. Remove from the oven and let cool. Pat dry.
3. Combine all the ingredients for the spice mix. Mix the kewpie, miso, and agave syrup into a miso mayonnaise. Mix the olive oil with the basil, strain, and pour into a spray bottle.
4. Pour olive oil into a deep pan. Heat to 180 degrees Celsius.
5. Make the tempura batter by mixing all the ingredients together. Peel the eggplants (leave the stems on!), coat them in the tempura batter, and deep-fry for about 3 to 4 minutes until puffed and golden brown. Turn occasionally and spoon more tempura batter over any spots where there's no tempura.
6. Spread the miso mayonnaise on a plate. Top with the tempura eggplant. Season with salt. Finish with the spice mix and a little basil oil. Enjoy!
