These are delicious served either hot or cold, with jasmine rice or on a bed of quinoa. Make sure that you that choose a mild miso paste — the darker the colour the more salty the paste.

Method

• Preheat the oven to 180°C.
• Wash and pat dry the aubergine, then halve it lengthways.
• With the tip of a knife, score the flesh deeply in a diamond criss-cross pattern by making five or six long cuts on the diagonal, cutting at a steep angle, and then rotating the aubergine to make another set of similar cuts. Make sure you do not do not cut through the skin.
• Mix the groundnut and sesame oils and brush both sides of the aubergines with them.
• Put the aubergines cut-side down on a baking tray lined with parchment paper.
• Place in the preheated oven and bake for approximately 40 minutes, checking often to make sure that they do not burn.
• If your aubergines are still not tender all the way through, give them a further 5-10 minutes.
• Place the mirin and sake in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Simmer for 2 minutes to allow some of the alcohol to cook off.
• Add the miso paste, water, sugar and soy sauce and stir until smooth.
• Bring to the boil, and reduce to a thick sauce, stirring continuously with a whisk.
• Spread miso sauce on the cut surface of the tender aubergines and return them to the oven for 10 minutes until the sauce bubbles.
• Garnish with toasted sesame seeds and coriander.

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