Baked Asian Eggplant with Horapa on Brown Rice

Baked Asian eggplant with horapa and coriander on brown and wild rice - can also be combined with other side dishes.

Portion size: The specified amount of 2 portions corresponds to a main course for 2 people if you use 2 smaller aubergines. If you use large aubergines, it is suitable for more people, depending on the amount of side dish.

Nutrient profile: According to GDA guidelines, one portion of this high-fiber dish provides well over 100% of the essential trace element manganese and 100% of the copper. Vitamin B₆ and folic acid are covered between 70 and 90% and omega-3 fatty acids are covered by 65%. However, some of the heat-sensitive ingredients such as folic acid are lost during the cooking process, which slightly reduces the amount per portion. The ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids is 4:1, which is below the maximum recommended ratio of 5:1.
You can find further information on this topic at the following link: Vegans often eat unhealthily. Avoidable nutritional errors.

Eggplants: There are several types that differ in shape and color. The most common varieties sold in Europe and North America are elongated and have a dark purple color. The raw fruit has a slightly bitter taste with a somewhat astringent quality.

Brown rice: Wholegrain rice or brown rice retains its natural silver skin after harvesting. This means that wholegrain rice is more nutritious than regular rice: the vitamins and minerals remain on the grain. Wholegrain rice has a slightly nutty taste, keeps you full for a long time and contains valuable vitamins and minerals.

Horapa, Thai basil: Horapa is a variety of the European basil plant. Unlike the European basil plant, however, the stem and flowers are purple and the leaves are lanceolate. The aroma is also very different from "ordinary" basil, as Horapa has a distinctly aniseed and licorice-like scent and taste paired with a slight spiciness.

Coriander: Coriander leaves, sometimes also known as Chinese parsley, have a refreshing, lime-like taste for some people. Others, however, have a strong aversion to its taste and smell. Studies have shown that such aversion can be traced back to genetic differences. Coriander leaves spoil quickly and should therefore be used as fresh as possible.

Tamarind paste: A distinction is made between sweet and sour tamarind fruit. The former can be found in well-stocked supermarkets. Tamarind paste is the concentrated pulp of the sour tamarind fruit. It can be found in Asian shops.

Reduce salt and oil: We have deliberately avoided using oil and used low-salt soy sauce (Genen Shoyu) to keep the salt content as low as possible without compromising on taste. Since salt requirements vary depending on individual habits, it is best for you to decide for yourself. A good read on this topic is the book " Salt. Sugar, Fat ".

Nuts, seeds and fatty acids: The fat content of linseed has around 50% of the polyunsaturated omega-3 fatty acid alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), the highest concentration of omega-3 fatty acids of all known seeds. Those who eat a lot of industrial food should increase the amount of linseed in their diet and correct any nutritional errors in this regard. Of all the nuts, walnuts have the highest proportion of linolenic acid (an omega-3 fatty acid that is good for the heart). They also have health benefits thanks to tocopherols (forms of vitamin E) and many macro and trace elements. Cashew nuts contain relatively high amounts of essential omega-6 fatty acids (linoleic acid: 7.8 g/100 g = 78% of the daily requirement or the maximum daily amount) and very little ALA. The LA:ALA ratio is at least 48:1 and sometimes goes up to 130:1. For this reason, we have chosen a mixture of linseed, walnuts and cashews to achieve the best possible balance between taste and health value.

Side dish: Instead of brown rice (here wholegrain long grain rice mixed with wild rice), you can also use quinoa or sticky rice (also available in the wholegrain version) as a side dish. The latter can be easily found in online shops or Asian supermarkets.

Oil: If you don't want to do without oil completely, you can use oil to sauté the shallots and also coat the aubergines with oil (before baking and once halfway through the cooking time). It is best to use refined rapeseed oil for this. This has a high proportion of essential fatty acids, especially omega-3 fatty acids, and, unlike cold-pressed rapeseed oil, you can also heat it to high temperatures.

Onions: If you don't have enough shallots on hand, you can replace some, but no more than half, with onions.

Palm sugar: Palm sugar can now be found in every well-stocked supermarket and in Asian supermarkets. If you don't have any on hand, you can use either brown cane sugar or maple syrup or date sugar. In addition to being sweet, these sweeteners also have a certain malty taste, which is desirable here.