Singaporean Style Aubergine Achar
with Sambal Smacked Cucumber, Garlicky Rice and Charred Pak Choi
A local version of Indian achar, a South Asian pickle, this aubergine achar is popular in Singapore as well as Indonesia and Malaysia. It's a pickle that's lightly cured or cooked, like the aubergine we've used here, then intensely seasoned. Unlike European pickles, achar is eaten an hour or two after being made.
The quantities provided above are averages only.
Boxes and ingredients are packed in facilities that handles Peanut, Nuts, Sesame, Fish, Crustaceans, Milk, Egg, Mustard, Celery, Soya, Gluten and Sulphites. Due to the war in Ukraine, it has been necessary to substitute sunflower oil with rapeseed oil in some products without a label change. The FSA have advised that allergic reactions to rapeseed oil are rare.
Ingredients
2 unit(s)
Aubergine
(May contain Celery)
3 unit(s)
Garlic Clove
150 grams
Jasmine Rice
1 unit(s)
Baby Cucumber
30 grams
Sambal Paste
30 milliliter(s)
Rice Vinegar
15 milliliter(s)
Soy Sauce
(Contains Cereals containing gluten, Soya)
25 grams
Salted Peanuts
(Contains Peanut May contain Nuts, Sesame)
1 unit(s)
Pak Choi
1 sachet(s)
Mustard Seeds
(Contains Mustard)
30 grams
Ginger Puree
1 sachet(s)
Indonesian Style Spice Mix
Not included in your delivery
½ tbsp
Oil for Cooking
300 milliliter(s)
Water for the Rice
1 tsp
Sugar for the Pickle
2 tbsp
Mayonnaise
2.5 tsp
Sugar for the Sauce
Nutritional information
Utensils
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 220°C/200°C fan/gas mark 7.
Trim the aubergine, then cut into roughly 2cm pieces.
Pop the aubergine onto a large baking tray. Drizzle with oil, season with salt and pepper, then toss to coat. Spread out in a single layer.
When the oven is hot, roast the aubergine on the top shelf until soft and golden, 25-30 mins. Turn halfway through.
Meanwhile, peel and grate the garlic (or use a garlic press).
Pop a deep saucepan (with a tight-fitting lid) on medium heat with the oil (see pantry for amount).
When the oil is hot, add half the garlic and stir-fry for 1 min. Stir in the rice until coated, 1 min.
Add 1/4 tsp salt and the water for the rice (see pantry for amount) and bring to the boil. Once boiling, turn the heat down to medium and cover with the lid.
Leave to cook for 10 mins, then remove the pan from the heat (still covered) and leave to the side for another 10 mins or until ready to serve (the rice will continue to cook in its own steam).
Meanwhile, trim the cucumber, then pop onto a board and use a rolling pin to gently smack it a few times until split. Cut into roughly 2cm chunks.
Add the sugar for the pickle (see pantry for amount), half the sambal, half the rice the vinegar and half the soy sauce to a medium bowl. Add the cucumber, season with salt and pepper, toss to coat. Set aside for later.
Crush the peanuts in the unopened sachet using a rolling pin. Halve the pak choi lengthways.
In a small bowl, combine the mayo (see pantry for amount) and remaining sambal. Mix well.
Heat a drizzle of oil in a large frying pan on medium heat.
Once hot, add the mustard seeds, ginger puree, Indonesian style spice mix and remaining garlic. Stir-fry until fragrant, 1 min.
Add the sugar for the sauce (see pantry for amount) and remaining rice vinegar. Simmer until the sugar dissolves and the vinegar has evaporated, 1-2 mins.
Transfer your curry paste to a large bowl. Wipe out the pan.
Return the (now empty) frying pan to medium-high heat with a drizzle of oil.
Once hot, lay in the pak choi, cut-side down. Season with salt and pepper. Cook for 2 mins, then turn over and cook for another 2 mins on the other side. The pak choi should be slightly browned and charred.
Reduce the heat to medium, add a splash of water and the remaining soy sauce. Pop a lid (or some foil) on the pan and leave to steam for another 3 mins.
Once the aubergine has roasted, add it to the bowl with the curry paste and toss to coat. Taste and season with salt and pepper if needed.
Share the garlic rice between your serving bowls.
Top the rice with the aubergine achar, smacked cucumber and charred pak choi in seperate sections. Sprinkle the peanuts over the aubergine.
Drizzle over the sambal mayo to finish.
Enjoy!
