Simplest Roasted Eggplants

In a typical winter Sunday afternoon, I was making lamb stew for dinner and it would take more than two hour simmering. Feeling a little hungry I thought it would be superb to make some quick snacks to go with a glass of sparkling wine. An eggplant would do.

• Ingredients –
  Eggplant, 1
  Ground cumin seeds, paprika, ground black pepper, dry basil
  Laoganma chili sauce, or any hot sauce
  Chinese oyster sauce
  Olive oil, sugar and salt

How to do –
1. Eggplant washed and no need to peel, halve; poke with a folk even on skin side so that it’s cooked more easily and can catch more seasoning;

2. I am making two flavours, one with Chinese sauces and one with mixed spices. Drizzle generous olive oil on the eggplant. On one half, casually sprinkle some cumin seeds, paprika, black pepper, basil on, and a small pinch of salt and sugar, no need to be too precise; on another half, spread some Laoganma chili sauce and Chinese oyster, not too much otherwise too salty;

3. Preheat oven to 180C then bake for about 20 to 30 minutes till eggplant turns tender and can be easily removed from the peel with chopsticks or folk. Sprinkle some roasted sesame seeds on.