Doenjang-glazed grilled Asian aubergine (doenjang gaji gui)

This aubergine recipe is a variation of the Japanese version, nasu dengaku, which is an all-time fave for me. Here I use doenjang, which kicks the flavour up a notch. It is divine!

Credit: Murdoch Books

• serves

  6

• prep

  20 minutes

• cook

  15 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

Ingredients

• 3 Asian aubergines (about 140 g/5 oz each), halved lengthways
• vegetable oil, for grilling
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 120 ml (4 fl oz) doenjang glaze
• roasted sesame seeds, to serve
• pinch of gochugaru (Korean chilli flakes), to serve (optional)
• handful of spring onions, thinly sliced on an angle, to serve

Doenjang glaze

• 125 g (4½ oz) doenjang (Korean soya bean paste)
• 50 g (1¾ oz) honey
• 5 garlic cloves, grated or finely chopped
• 3 spring onions, thinly sliced on an angle
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tbsp toasted sesame oil

Instructions

To make the doenjang glaze, in a small bowl, whisk together all the ingredients until smooth. Cover and store in the fridge if not using immediately.

Preheat the grill and position a rack 10–13 cm (4–5 in) from the heat source. Line a baking tray with foil.

Score the flesh of each aubergine half in a crisscross pattern, cutting deeply but not all the way through to the skin. Brush the aubergine halves with oil and season with salt and pepper. Arrange them, skin-side up, in a single layer on the prepared baking tray.

Grill for 3–5 minutes until the skins start to discolor in spots and the aubergines soften a bit. Flip them and continue to grill for a further 3–5 minutes until the cut sides are lightly golden and the aubergines are soft when squeezed. Spread the glaze over the flesh and grill for about 5 minutes until it’s bubbling and lightly charred in spots. Watch carefully, as the glaze can burn quickly. Transfer the aubergines to plates, flesh-side up, and garnish with sesame seeds, chilli flakes, if liked, and the spring onions.

Notes

• While the aubergine halves look nicer served as is, cutting them into smaller pieces makes them easier to eat.

• The glaze is a savoury, salty and slightly sweet mixture. It makes about 300 ml (10 fl oz).

Recipes and images from Korean Food Made Simple by Judy Joo (Murdoch Books, $45, hbk).

View our Readable feasts review and more recipes from the book here.

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.