Silky Aubergine with Asian Flavours

I didn't believe Jamie Oliver when he said that steamed aubergine was a fantastic thing. In my mind it couldn't be anything else but mushy and rather flavourless. Surely it needed to be fried in oil or at least roasted in the oven with a drizzle of oil to be properly appreciated? Turns out Jamie was right. Steaming the aubergines renders them light, flavourful and most of all silky-silky. Oh and the onion! I forgot about the onion. I was a bit skeptical as I layered the onion in with the beans, but thought oh what the heck. But to my surprise it came out beautifully soft (but not too soft) and sweet. And can you believe the whole meal is done in less than half an hour? With ZERO fat? Yowzer. I'm curious to see what other culinary delights my bamboo steamer has to offer!

Serves 4

2 aubergines, cut into cubes
200g young green beans, trimmed and cut in half
1 onion, cut into cubes
1 teaspoon minced garlic
2 tablespoons teriyaki sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce
jasmine rice, to serve

1. Place aubergine into a large colander, sprinkle with some salt and let rest for about 10 minutes to draw out the juices. Pat dry.
2. Meanwhile, heat some water to boiling point in a large frying pan. Place your bamboo steamer in the pan and layer the aubergines onto the steamer trays. Cover and steam for about 5 minutes until soft and silky.
3. Remove aubergines and set aside. Layer beans and onion pieces onto the steamer trays and steam for about 10 minutes, or until cooked through (but not mushy).
4. Remove the steamer from the frying pan, throw out any remaining water and add the vegetables to the pan. Mix together with the garlic, teriyaki sauce and soy sauce, and cook for a minute or two over medium heat, to blend the sauces together.
5. Serve warm over sticky jasmine rice.

Nutritional info (per serving): Calories 82.1 Total Fat 0.5 g Saturated Fat 0.0 g Polyunsaturated Fat 0.1 g Monounsaturated Fat 0.1 g Cholesterol 0.0 mg Sodium 1,698.4 mg Potassium 392.0 mg Total Carbohydrate 18.0 g Dietary Fiber 5.0 g Sugars 3.4 g Protein 3.3 g