2Large aubergines(or 4 Japanese aubergines if you can source them)
6Thai shallotspeeled and sliced thinly (can be substituted for regular shallots)
Spring onionssmall bunch, finely sliced
Minta small handful of leaves
Coriandera small handful of leaves
4Kaffir lime leavesfresh or frozen, sliced into fine strips
2Free range eggs
1 ½tbspDry roasted rice powder
2tbspLight soy sauce
Sea salta small pinch
3tbspLime juice
1 ½tspPalm sugarshaved (or the same amount of golden caster sugar)
1tspRoasted chilli powder
Instructions
*To make the rice powder, dry and toast raw rice (ideally sticky, but jasmine is ok) in a pan with no oil on a low heat until evenly light brown in colour (about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally). Allow this then to cool before grinding it into a coarse powder in a pestle and mortar or clean spice/coffee grinder
First grill the aubergines either over a charcoal grill, on a griddle pan or put them under a hot preheated grill until cooked, soft and skin is charred. Set aside to cool.
Soft boil the eggs to your liking (I immerse for 6 minutes and 15 seconds in rapidly boiling water, then transfer into iced water to stop the cooking). Once cooled, peel and set aside.
Make the dressing by dissolving the sugar and pinch of salt in the lime juice, then stirring in the soy sauce and chilli powder.
Peel the aubergines and cut each one into 3 or 4 pieces, lay on a plate.
In a bowl mix the salad of mint, coriander, shallots, spring onions and kaffir lime leaf, add the dressing and then serve the salad and all the dressing over the aubergine on the plate, pouring the dressing over the aubergines. Break the soft boiled eggs in half and place on top of the aubergine salad. Finish sprinkling the dried rice powder.