Japanese Braised Eggplant

Recipe Cuisine: Vegetarian
Recipe Category: Vegetarian
Recipe Serves: 4

Recipes Ingredients:

2 md Eggplants
1 ts Ground coriander
1/2 c Dry sherry
1 md Green bell pepper, diced
1/3 c Tamari soy sauce
4 c Sliced mushrooms
1 tb Molasses
3 tb Tomato paste
1/4 c Vegetable oil
Salt to taste
8 oz Tempeh, cubed
Brown rice
2 1/2 c Chopped onions
Chopped scallions
2 ts Ground fennel seeds
Toasted seasme seeds
1/4 ts Cayenne

Recipe Instructions:

Leaving stems on, cut eggplants in half lengthwise. Mix together the sherry, soy Sauce & molasses. Oil a Baking pan. Pour sherry mixture into pan, place eggplant slices face down, cover tightly & bake at 350F for 45 minutes. Brown cubed tempeh, 1/2c of onions, 1 ts fennel & cayenne in oil for 20 minutes. Stir frequently to avoid burning. In a separate pot, saute remaining onion, coriander, remaining fennel till onions are transluscent. Add peppers & mushrooms & saute 15 to 20 minutes. With a slotted spoon, lift tempeh & onions from oil & stir into sauted vegetables. Stir in tomato paste & 2 tb braising liquid from eggplant pan. Salt filling. Turn eggplant halves over, carefully mash pulp & push to sides leaving a hollow centre. Fill each hollow with 1/4 of filling. Cover pan tightly & bake at 350F for 20 minutes til piping hot. Serve on bed of rice, pour over some juiice from Baking pan & sprinkle with scallions & sesame seeds. "New Recipes From Moosewood"