Description
This Vegan Prawn Toast recipe offers a creative and plant-based twist on the classic Chinese appetizer, using roasted aubergine as a flavorful filling with garlic, soy sauce, and crushed nori to mimic the savory seafood taste. The toasts are pan-fried to a golden crisp and coated in sesame seeds for added texture and flavor, making a delicious and satisfying vegan appetizer or snack.
Ingredients
Scale
Aubergine Filling
- 1 aubergine
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil (to coat the aubergine)
- 1 tsp garlic, minced
- 1/2 tsp sugar
- 1 tsp soy sauce
- Pinch sea salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1 nori sheet (sushi paper), crushed into little flakes
Toast Preparation
- 8 slices of bread, cut into squares (crusts removed and reserved for breadcrumbs)
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 2 tsp cornstarch or flour
- 1 tbsp black or white sesame seeds
Instructions
- Preheat oven: Set your oven to 220°C (200°C fan) to prepare for roasting the aubergine.
- Roast aubergine: Pierce the aubergine several times with a fork, brush it with 1 tbsp vegetable oil, then roast in the oven for 40 minutes until the skin becomes wrinkly and the flesh is tender.
- Prepare filling: Remove the aubergine from the oven and cool for 5 minutes. Peel off the skin and mash the flesh with minced garlic, sugar, soy sauce, sea salt, black pepper, and crushed nori flakes in a bowl. Mix well, cover, and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or preferably overnight to enhance the flavors.
- Prepare bread: The next day, cut 8 slices of bread into squares, removing the crusts and saving them for breadcrumbs.
- Mix filling: Take the aubergine filling from the fridge and mix it thoroughly again before assembling.
- Assemble toasts: Spread a 2 cm layer of the aubergine filling (about one-fourth of the filling) onto one piece of bread and sandwich it with another piece of bread on top. Repeat to create 4 vegan prawn toasts.
- Prepare oil mixture: In a shallow bowl or plate, mix 2 tbsp vegetable oil with 2 tsp cornstarch or flour until a thick mixture forms.
- Coat toasts: Toss each assembled prawn toast gently in the oil mixture to coat, then press each side into sesame seeds to cover.
- Fry toasts: Heat a frying pan over medium heat with a splash of oil. Fry each prawn toast for about 4 minutes per side or until golden brown and crispy.
- Drain and serve: Remove the toasts from the pan, drain excess oil on kitchen paper, then serve immediately and enjoy.
Notes
- Allowing the aubergine filling to rest overnight greatly enhances the flavor by letting the seasonings meld.
- Removing the crusts makes the toasts more delicate and authentic, but you can use whole bread if desired.
- Use gluten-free bread and flour/cornstarch to make the recipe gluten-free if needed.
- Ensure the oil temperature is moderate to avoid burning the sesame seeds or toasts.
- The crusts can be saved and crisped up as breadcrumbs for another dish.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 48 minutes
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: Frying
- Cuisine: Chinese-inspired Vegan
Keywords: vegan prawn toast, vegan appetizer, aubergine prawn toast, plant-based prawn toast, vegan Chinese recipe, fried vegan toast
