Recipe: Don't have eel but love eel bowls (Unaju)? Use eggplants instead of eel and lay it on a bed of chicken!

Number of steps:  6 steps
Time taken: 15 min

About This Dish:
This idea came from a Japanese show called "Ken-min show", a show which brags dishes and cultures of various prefectures and cities in Japan. I thought it was a genius idea since I always find it hard to find eel in Boston. Japanese restaurants in Boston don't serve real eel bowls either. Eel seems difficult to cook at home anyway, so why  not use eggplant? There are pieces of chicken hiding under the eggplants too. Surprise!

What You Need:
(2 serving, plenty to share between two)

• 1/2 a large eggplant or 2 small-regular sized eggplants
• 1/2 lb of chicken breast or thigh
• Eel (unagi) sauce (They sell these at Japanese markets) if you don't have this make it yourself. Click here for the recipe.
• Rice 

1. Cook the chicken until you see a crisp on the outside.

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4. Once the chicken is heated, add a tbsp of the eel sauce. Stir on LOW heat. Take out on a plate.

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6.2. Add pieces of seaweed if you like.

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2. Meanwhile, cut the eggplant in half and soak it in water to get rid of the bitterness.

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5. Cut the pieces of eggplant open so that it looks like eel. Using the same pan, grill the eggplants on MEDIUM HIGH heat and add a tbsp or two of the eel sauce.

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6.3. Add the chicken.

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3. Put the eggplant on a microwave safe plate, put saran wrap loosely over it and heat it in the microwave for 2 - 3 minutes. 

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6. Fill the bowl up with rice.

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6.4. Finally, add the eggplant and pour on the leftover sauce in the pan!

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