Grilled Eggplant Salad (Yam Makhaua Yao)

Ease of preparation rating: Medium.

Yield: 2 servings.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon (15ml) small dried shrimp, soaked in hot water for 20 minutes

2 long Asian eggplants

2 large eggs

2 tablespoons (30ml) lime juice

1 tablespoon (15ml) palm sugar, chopped

1 tablespoon (15ml) fish sauce

2 red Thai chillies, chopped

2 shallots, thinly sliced

3 tablespoons (45ml) cilantro, chopped

Method

In boiling water, cook eggs for 7-8 minutes.

Remove from water, and cool in refrigerator.

Once cool, peel and cut in half. Set aside until plating.

Heat grill over high heat, and add whole eggplants.

Cook on each side for 3 minutes, until the skin is nicely charred.

Remove from grill, and let cool at room temperature.

Once cooled, remove the skin of the eggplant using your fingers.

Discard skin, and cut the flesh of the eggplant into 1-2 inch pieces. Set aside until plating.

In a mortar and pestle, grind dried shrimp until they start to slightly fall apart.

Remove from mortar and pestle and reserve.

Add Thai chilies and palm sugar to mortar pestle and grind until smooth.

Add fish sauce, lime juice, shallots and half the cilantro and mix with a spoon.

Add the dried shrimp back in the dressing and mix.

Plate eggplant cold with a medium boiled egg on the side, and top with dressing.

Garnish with remaining cilantro.