Name: Spiced eggplant katsu sandos
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 1 eggplant (300gm), cut into; 1.5cm-thick slices; Vegetable oil, for drizzling and shallow-frying; Shichimi togarashi (see note); 80 gm finely shredded wombok; 75 gm (¼ cup) Kewpie mayonnaise; 35 gm (¼ cup) plain flour; 3 eggs; 200 gm Panko crumbs; 2 tbsp tonkatsu sauce (see note); 8 thick slices white sandwich bread; Mixed Japanese pickles (see note), to serve

Spiced eggplant katsu sandos

This Japanese-inspired eggplant sandwich recipe makes for a great vegetarian lunch.

Stacked eggplant katsu sandos recipe on pink plate

Serves 4

Prep

15M

Cook

20M

Total

35M

Ingredients

1 eggplant (300gm), cut into

1.5cm-thick slices

Vegetable oil, for drizzling and shallow-frying

Shichimi togarashi (see note)

80 gm finely shredded wombok

75 gm (¼ cup) Kewpie mayonnaise

35 gm (¼ cup) plain flour

3 eggs

200 gm Panko crumbs

2 tbsp tonkatsu sauce (see note)

8 thick slices white sandwich bread

Mixed Japanese pickles (see note), to serve

Method

Preheat oven to 220°C. Line a large oven tray with baking paper. Drizzle eggplant with oil, then scatter with shichimi togarashi on both sides; season with salt. Place in a single layer on prepared tray. Roast until just cooked (20 minutes). Cool.

Meanwhile, combine wombok and mayonnaise in a bowl. Season to taste.

Place flour in a shallow bowl; season with salt. Whisk eggs in a second shallow bowl. Place breadcrumbs in a third shallow bowl. Dust eggplant in flour, shaking off excess. Dip in egg, then add to breadcrumbs, turning until well coated. Heat 3cm oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. When oil is hot, cook eggplant, turning halfway, until golden (1 minute each side). Drain on paper towel.

To assemble, spread a little tonkatsu sauce on each slice of bread. Top 4 of the slices with wombok salad, then eggplant. Sandwich with remaining bread slices, then cut off crusts. Cut sandwiches in half and serve with mixed Japanese pickles on the side.

For an even crisper and crunchier texture, you can double-coat the eggplant by repeating the egg and breadcrumb steps.

Shichimi togarashi, Japanese mixed pickles and tonkatsu sauce are available from select supermarkets and Japanese or Asian grocers.

This recipe also calls for cooling time (see method).
Note

By Gourmet Food Team

Gourmet Traveller is Australia’s trusted authority on food, travel and luxury lifestyle, bringing the latest news and trends to life through quality journalism, enticing recipes and evocative photography. For more than 55 years, it has been inspiring and informing Australians with the best in cooking and dining. The Gourmet Traveller legacy is one of trust, prestige and relevance.

Styling by Lucy Busuttil