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Fried Gochujang Glazed Eggplant in Lettuce Cups with Yuzu Cream Recipe

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A lettuce cup filled with plant-based chicken, shredded carrots, sauce, sesame seeds, and coriander, served on a black plate.
A lettuce leaf filled with plant-based veg, sauce, grated carrot, sesame seeds, and fresh coriander on a black plate.

Bold gochujang chilli and yuzu are paired harmoniously together in this Korean-inspired eggplant dish. The fresh crunch of the iceberg cups and carrot balance the rich flavours of the eggplant perfectly!

You will need

Serves 4

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

For the sauce

  • 2 tablespoons gochujang*
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 4 tablespoons water

Tofu cream

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

To serve

  • 1 iceberg lettuce
  • 1 carrot
  • 1 bunch coriander

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Directions

10 mins to prep

20 mins to cook

  1. Step 1

    Cut the eggplant into cubes.

  2. Step 2

    For the sauce, add the gochujang, sugar and water to a bowl and whisk until the sugar dissolves.

  3. Step 3

    Add oil and eggplant to a pan over medium-high heat and stir to combine. Leave the eggplant to begin caramelising, stirring occasionally. Once the eggplant begins to colour, pour the gochujang sauce over it and cook until the sauce thickens, and the eggplant goes sticky. Then pop the eggplant into a bowl and stir through sesame seeds.

  4. Step 4

    In a blender (or with a stick blender), blend the tofu, yuzu and salt until smooth.

  5. Step 5

    Cut the stem off the iceberg and peel away the layers so each leaf can be a separate cup. Peel the carrot and cut into matchsticks.

  6. Step 6

    To assemble, start with everything in the middle of the table.

  7. Step 7

    Allow people to assemble their own cups: Add some fried eggplant to a the lettuce cup, then sprinkle over carrot and a dollop of cream, and garnish with coriander.

Hot tip!

*Gochujang is a spicy, sweet, savoury chilli paste — popular in Korean cooking. You can find it at most supermarkets!

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