Slow Cooker Korean-Style Aubergine Rice Bowl

Before you begin...

This recipe takes around 5- 10 min to prep, so get your slow cooker and all your ingredients ready, then wash your fruit and veg

Now, let's get started!

Boil half a kettle and turn on your slow cooker to high

Chop your aubergine[s] into 8 thin wedges per person and deseed your pepper[s] (scrape the seeds and pith out with a teaspoon) and cut into chunks

Crush your garlic open by squashing with the side of a knife and remove the skin[s]

Add the crushed garlic, chopped pepper, aubergine wedges and 3/4 of your gochujang paste (can't handle the heat? Go easy!) to the dish with 2 tsp [3 tsp] [4 tsp] flour and stir it all together

Add your soy sauce, mirin, vegetable stock mix, half your rice vinegar (you'll use the rest later!) and 50ml [65ml] [85ml] boiled water

Cook for 3 hours – this is your Korean-style aubergine

Bash your cucumber with a rolling pin, then chop it into large, bite-sized pieces – this is your smashed cucumber

Tip: Bash the cucumber in its bag to avoid mess. By bruising the cucumber, the water is drawn out more easily!

Add the remaining rice vinegar, mayo, the remaining gochujang paste (not a fan of spice? Just add a little!) and smashed cucumber to a bowl and mix until fully combined – this is your gochujang cucumber

Use this time to clear up, simply chill, or have a cup of tea!

Once the Korean-style aubergine is almost ready, squeeze your pouch[es] of cooked long grain rice to separate the grains

Tear the top corner of the pouch[es] (just a little!) and microwave for 2 min or until piping hot

Tip: If you're cooking two pouches, pop them in together but increase the microwave cook time accordingly