Miso-Glazed Roasted Aubergine Bowl with Jasmine Rice
Aubergine halves roasted until collapsing, brushed with a sticky white miso and honey glaze, and served over jasmine rice with sesame spring onions. Sweet, savory and not spicy.
- Total
- 45 min
- Prep 10 · Cook 35
- Serves
- 1
- Difficulty
- Easy
You'll practice: Roasting · Absorption rice
- Standard
- Sweet & savory
- Asian
- Oven
Instructions
-
Heat the oven to 220°C. Halve the aubergines lengthways and score the cut faces in a 1 cm diamond pattern, cutting about 1 cm deep without piercing the skin. Place cut-side up on a parchment-lined baking tray, brush the flesh with 1 tsp sesame oil and season with 0.25 tsp salt and the black pepper.
~10 min
Scoring exposes more flesh so the glaze penetrates and moisture escapes evenly, helping the aubergine soften rather than steam unevenly.
Scoring the aubergine flesh in a deep 1 cm diamond lets the glaze sink in and helps the flesh steam through to a soft, custardy texture instead of staying firm.
-
Roast the aubergines until the flesh is completely tender and collapsing when pressed with a spoon, 25 to 30 minutes.
~30 min
Roasting at high heat caramelises the surface and collapses the cell walls, giving a soft, custardy flesh.
Roasting Roast cut-side up at high heat until the flesh collapses when pressed; avoid under-roasting, which leaves it firm and watery.
-
While step 2 cooks
While the aubergines roast, combine 2 tbsp white miso, 1 tbsp mirin and 1 tbsp honey in a small bowl and stir to a smooth glaze.
~3 min
Miso, mirin and honey form a sticky glaze; the sugars caramelise and the miso adds savoury depth when heated.
-
While step 2 cooks
While the aubergines roast, put 150 g jasmine rice, 300 ml water and 0.25 tsp salt in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, cover, and simmer on low until the water is absorbed and the rice is tender, 12 to 14 minutes. Take off the heat and leave covered for 5 minutes, then fluff with a fork.
~14 min
The absorption method lets the rice soak up exactly the right water, and resting lets the grains finish steaming and firm up.
Absorption rice Use a tight lid and low simmer, then rest off the heat; lifting the lid early lets steam escape and leaves crunchy grains.
-
While step 4 waits
While the rice stands, toast 1 tbsp sesame seeds in a dry frying pan over medium heat until golden and fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes, shaking the pan so they colour evenly. Slice the 2 spring onions thinly.
~3 min
Toasting sesame seeds drives off moisture and triggers Maillard browning, deepening their nutty aroma.
-
Brush the roasted aubergine flesh generously with the miso glaze and return to the oven until the glaze bubbles and darkens at the edges, 4 to 5 minutes. Divide the jasmine rice between two bowls, top with the glazed aubergine, spoon over any glaze left on the tray, and scatter with the toasted sesame seeds and sliced spring onions.
~5 min
Brief high heat bubbles the glaze so its sugars caramelise and cling to the aubergine instead of staying runny.
Roasting Roast cut-side up at high heat until the flesh collapses when pressed; avoid under-roasting, which leaves it firm and watery.