EGGPLANT BALADO & DONCASTER TOMATO SAMBAL WITH RAHEL STEPHANIE

"This West Sumatran classic is a home-cooking favourite, and no wonder why – there’s just something about the dark aubergine skin against the thick, red sambal.

It gives me flashbacks of devouring this at the local warteg, or food stall. The sambal doubles up as a condiment or dip for any fritter and if you prefer, swap the aubergine for another seasonal vegetable or protein of choice," says Rahel.

We source the eggplants for this dish from Mickael and Sam in Victoria’s Upper Plenty Valley which are low moisture varieties fried in Mark’s organic pecan oil, a neutral but highly aromatic oil with a very high smoking point making it ideal for frying. Emilio’s soil grown tomatoes are the base of a thick red sambal, with Remi’s french shallots, garlic and a variety of chilies. The eggplant balado is served with dryland-grown Jasmine rice that comes to us from Frank and Andrea in the Nimbin Valley, New South Wales.

EGGPLANT BALADO & DONCASTER TOMATO SAMBAL

INGREDIENTS

6 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
6 french shallots, roughly chopped
4 long red chilies, seeds removed, roughly chopped
6 Doncaster Tomatoes, roughly chopped
1 litre Kootingal Pecan Oil (for frying and sambal)
1 tsp caster sugar
10g salt
3-4 Lydia or Graffiti Eggplants
1.5 cup Kyema Jasmine Rice, rinsed
2.5 cup water

METHOD

For the sambal:

1. Put chopped garlic, shallots, chillies and tomatoes in a blender and blitz to a rough paste.
2. Put two tablespoons of pecan oil in a large frying pan or wok and bring to medium-high heat.
3. Add the blended paste and cook, stirring occasionally for five minutes.
4. Add sugar and half a teaspoon of salt and continue to cook, stirring now and then for 10 to 15 minutes, allowing the sambal to reduce and thicken. The oil will also starts to separate.
5. Take sambal off the heat. Taste and adjust with salt and sugar as necessary.

For the eggplant:

1. Cut the eggplant into bite-sized chunks.
2. Place eggplant chunks into a colander set over a bowl, sprinkle and toss with salt and set aside for a half an hour on bench top.
3. After 30 minutes, rinse the salted eggplant thoroughly under cold running water, then dry to rid of any excess moisture.
4. Heat about 2½ cm pecan oil in a large, deep-sided pan. When the handle of a wooden spoon or chopstick bubbles when dipped in, the oil is ready for cooking.
5. Fry the eggplant chunks for three to five minutes until slightly browned and crisp.
6. Once cooked, lift out the eggplant and set on a wire rack set over an oven tray lined with to remove excess oil.
7. Frying the eggplant can be done in batches if needed.

For the rice:

1. Use a rice cooker or stovetop absorption method.
2. Rinse 1.5 cups rice under cold water to remove excess starch.
3. Add 2.5 cups of water and rinsed rice to a pan with lid and bring to a boil.
4. Bring heat down to the lowest setting, cover and cook for 20 minutes.
5. When the rice is fully cooked and absorbed all the liquid, turn the heat off and keep covered to steam for another 10 minutes.
6. After steaming, fluff with a fork and cover to keep warm for serving.

To finish:

1. Add cooked eggplant to sambal and stir-fry to warm through.
2. Plate up the Jasmine Rice and serve together.