(Makes 3-4 servings)

Ingredients:

Olive oil

3-4 cloves of garlic, diced

1-1½" piece ginger, peeled, finely diced

1 Onion, diced

2-3 medium eggplants, cut into 1-2” pieces

2-3 tbsp water/broth

¼ cup white miso or chickpea miso

2 tbsp soy sauce (soy-free option)

2 tbsp. rice vinegar

2 tsp. brown sugar

2 tbsp of sesame oil

Salt/pepper to taste

2 tbsp. fresh lime juice (half a fresh lime)

Sesame seeds

4 scallions, diced

2½ cups cooked whole grains (such as barley, kumut, farro, brown rice or quinoa)

Instructions:

Starting cooking grains per instructions on packaging.
Heat olive oil in a large pan. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, stir occasionally. Add Ginger and cook for 2-3 minutes, stir occasionally. Add onions and cook until fragrant, stir occasionally.
Add eggplant to garlic mixture. Stir until evenly distributed and cover. Eggplants like to suck up all the oil and liquid in the pan. 2-3 tbsp of water or broth can be added to help the eggplants cook down. Cook until the eggplant is soft and thoroughly cooked through.
In a bowl, mix miso, soy sauce, rice vinegar, brown sugar, sesame oil, salt/pepper, and lime juice. Mix into cooking eggplant and cover. Reduce heat to simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking to the bottom on the pan.
In an individual serving bowl, add rice and eggplant mixture, sprinkle scallions and sesame seeds on top.