Quick Miso Lentils with Smoked Aubergine
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Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 35 mins
We're off to Japan now (without leaving the kitchen, mind) for a hit of salty miso. It's made from soybeans and used to season soups, noodles and fish. We're adding it to our smoky aubergine lentils to give your supper some delicious depth.
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494 kcal
(per portion)
Ingredients you'll need
  • 150g brown basmati rice
  • 1 aubergine
  • 1 spring onion
  • 2 tomatoes
  • 1 garlic clove
  • A handful of chervil, leaves only
  • 400g tin of green lentils
  • 40g brown rice miso
From your kitchen
  • 600ml boiling water
  • Sea salt
  • 2 tsp olive oil
Step by step this way
  • 1.

    Tip the rice into a bowl, cover with cold water and whisk for 1-2 mins till the water goes cloudy. Drain, rinse and tip into a small pan. Add 300ml boiling water and a pinch of salt. Pop on a lid, bring to the boil then turn the heat down very low. Gently simmer for 25 mins till all the water is absorbed, then take off the heat and leave to steam in the pan (keep the lid on). The rice will stay warm.

  • 2.

    While the rice simmers, turn your hob to a low-medium gas flame (no gas hob? Skip to our tip). Slice a couple of 1cm-thick slices from the bottom of the aubergine. Set them aside. Stick the rest of the aubergine right on top of the flame. Using a pair of metal tongs, turn it every 20 secs or so.

  • 3.

    Cook the aubergine for about 5 mins till the skin starts to blister and the flesh starts to sizzle. Pop on a plate. Leave to cool, then peel the charred skin off the aubergine. Put the flesh in a bowl and roughly mash it with a fork.

  • 4.

    Trim the roots off the spring onion and slice it. Dice the tomatoes, discarding the white cores. Peel and crush the garlic clove. Roughly chop the chervil leaves.

  • 5.

    Heat 1 tsp olive oil in a heavy-bottomed pan. Add the sliced spring onion. Sweat for 2 mins till soft. Drain and rinse the lentils. Add to the spring onion with 300ml boiling water. Cover. Simmer for 5 mins till heated through.

  • 6.

    While the lentils cook, brush the slices of aubergine you saved in step 1 with 1 tsp olive oil. Heat your grill to high. Grill the aubergine slices for 5 mins, turning once, till golden on both sides.

  • 7.

    Stir the crushed aubergine, diced tomatoes, garlic and miso into the lentils and simmer for 1 min. Season to with salt and pepper as needed.

  • 8.

    Ladle the lentils into warm bowls. Nestle the grilled aubergine slices on top of them. Garnish with the chervil and serve.

  • Tip

    Get your grill on
    If you don’t have a gas hob, halve the aubergine and cook skin side up under a very hot grill till the skin is blackened and the flesh is soft.

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