Fried gochujang glazed eggplant in lettuce cups with yuzu cream

Sticky, glossy eggplant, a creamy, cooling citrus sauce and carrot for crunch, served up in lettuce cups. Quick, simple and full of flavour.

Fried gochujang glazed eggplant in lettuce cups with yuzu cream. Credit: Freshly Picked with Simon Toohey

• serves

  4

• prep

  15 minutes

• cook

  10 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

Ingredients

• 1 eggplant
• 40 ml vegetable oil
• 2 tsp white sesame seeds, toasted

Sauce

• 2 tbsp gochujang
• 2 tbsp brown sugar
• 4 tbsp water

Tofu cream

• 300 g silken tofu
• 60 ml yuzu juice (lime juice if yuzu is unavailable)
• 1 tsp salt

To serve

• 1 iceberg lettuce
• 1 carrot, peeled and sliced into matchsticks
• Coriander sprigs, for garnish

Instructions

1. Cut the eggplant into cubes.
2. In a bowl add the gochujang, sugar and water and whisk until it combines and the sugar dissolves.
3. Add oil and eggplant to a hot pan over medium-high heat, stir and then leave the eggplant to begin caramelising, stirring occasionally. Once the eggplant begins to colour, pour over the gochujang sauce and cook until the sauce thickens, and the eggplant goes sticky. Pour the eggplant into a bowl and stir through sesame seeds.
4. In a blender, or with a stick blender, blend the tofu, yuzu and salt until combined.
5. Cut the stem off the iceberg and peel away the layers so each can be a cup. Cut the carrot into matchsticks.
6. To assemble, start with everything in the middle of the table. Add the fried eggplant into the lettuce cups. Add the carrot, and top with the cream. Garnish with coriander.

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.