Teriyaki Aubergine With Pickled Cucumber

Preheat the oven to 200°C/ 180°C (fan)/ gas 6

Slice your aubergines into wedges

Score the aubergine flesh with a sharp knife in a criss-cross pattern, then rub the flesh with a large drizzle of vegetable oil and a generous pinch of salt

Add the aubergine wedges to a baking tray (or two!) and put in the oven for an initial 20 min

While the aubergine is cooking, cut your red chilli[es] in half lengthways, deseed (scrape the seeds out with a teaspoon) and chop finely

Cut your cucumber in half, scrape out the inner seeds with a teaspoon and discard, then dice the deseeded cucumber

Combine your rice vinegar, chopped chilli (can't handle the heat? Go easy!), diced cucumber and a pinch of salt in a bowl – this is your quick-pickled cucumber

Rinse your white long grain rice until the water runs clear, then add it to a pot with a lid with 225ml [300ml] [450ml] cold water and bring to the boil over a high heat

Once boiling, reduce the heat to very low and cook, covered, for 12-15 min or until all the water has absorbed and the rice is cooked

Once done, remove from the heat and set aside (lid on) to steam until serving

Meanwhile, peel (scrape the skin off with a teaspoon) and finely chop (or grate) your ginger

Peel and finely chop (or grate) your garlic

Once the aubergine wedges have had an initial 20 min, remove them from the oven and drizzle over your toasted sesame oil

Return the aubergine wedges to the oven for a further 10 min or until very soft

Meanwhile, drain the pickled cucumber, reserve the pickling liquid

Heat a large, wide-based pan (preferably non-stick) with a drizzle of vegetable oil over a medium heat

Once hot, add the chopped garlic and ginger and cook for 1-2 min or until fragrant

Once fragrant, add your soy sauce, agave, cornflour, reserved pickling liquid, 1 tsp [1 1/2 tsp] [2 tsp] sugar and 50ml [75ml] [100ml] water to the pan

Cook for 2 min or until thickened, whisking continuously until smooth

Once thickened, add the softened aubergine wedges to the pan and give everything a gentle mix up – this is your teriyaki aubergine

Fluff the cooked rice with a fork and mix in the black sesame seeds – this is your sesame rice