Eggplant and tamarind stir fry, kecap manis, carrot sesame slaw, jasmine rice and cashews

Rinse the rice, then add one and a half times the amount of water and a pinch of salt.

Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover and cook for 25 minutes, or until all the water is absorbed.

Allow to sit covered for another 5 minutes before serving.

If you’re going to roast the eggplant, preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius.

Thinly slice the spring onions, separating the white from the green. The white is for the stirfry, and the green is for the slaw.

Mince the garlic.

Peel and grate the carrot.

Wash and thinly slice the radish

Half the leek length ways and slice thin.

Place the carrot and radish in a bowl with the green part of the spring onions.

Dice the eggplant into rough 1 to 2 cm cubes.

Get a large frypan or two hot and add a good splash of oil. You want about 1 cm in the bottom of the pan. Make sure the oil is hot so the eggplant will absorb less of it.

Fry the spring onion whites and the garlic for 10 seconds, then add the eggplant, leeks, a pinch of salt and fry for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring regularly. Add more oil as needed, the eggplant needs to be fully cooked and very soft. Add the peas halfway through cooking to warm through.

Add three-quarters of the tamarind soy sauce and the cashews to the pan and cook for 30 seconds. Taste and add more sauce, as needed.

Dress the carrot radish slaw with the sesame dressing and a pinch of salt.

Serve the rice topped with eggplant and slaw on the side.