Eggplant Unagi
* 1 large Eggplant
* 1 brown onion
* 1 cauliflower
* 1 red capsicum
* 1 red chili
* 3 pieces of garlic
* Sesame seeds
* Cooking oil
* Spring onion for garnish
* 2 tsp Chinese 5 spice mix
Sauce
* 1 sheet of nori broken into tiny pieces
* 3 tablespoons mirin
* ⅓ cup of hot water
* 2 tablespoons light soy sauce
* 1 tablespoon maple syrup
* ½ teaspoon sugar
Preparation:
* In a medium bowl, whisk the mirin, hot water, light soy sauce, maple syrup, and nori pieces together. Set aside.
* Steam the cauliflower and the eggplant over high heat until soft. Set aside to cool down.
* Dice onion, capsicum, garlic, and chili, then sauté until cooked through.
* Break the steamed cauliflowers into small pieces and add to the onion mix.
* Stir fry cauliflower and onion mix with the Chinese spice mix for a few minutes, then set aside.
* Once the eggplant is cooled down, cut in half, and make incisions vertically and horizontally to give it a checkered look. Do not cut through the skin to create a bowl for the sauce.
* Heat a non-stick pan with a little bit of oil over medium heat. Place the eggplant in, the cut flesh side must be facing down.
* Pan-fry until golden brown before flipping.
* Slowly baste the flesh with 1 tablespoon of sauce at a time. Not more than 3 tablespoons per eggplant side.
* Flip once more and sizzle until the sauce is absorbed.
* Add remaining sauce to cauliflower rice and combine, add it into a rectangular dish.
* Gently place the eggplant onto the cauliflower rice, sprinkle with sesame seeds and spring onions.
* Serve hot.
