Soft, golden-fried eggplant is topped with a spicy sambal berlada made with red chili, shallot and garlic. Warm rice makes it a satisfying lunch, while lime keeps the rich flavors fresh.
Terung berlada brings eggplant together with a cooked chili paste: terung means eggplant, and berlada refers to chili. The dish is part of Malaysian cuisine, where sambals in many different combinations are eaten with rice and other dishes. The exact proportions of chili, shallot and garlic can vary from cook to cook. In this version, the sauce is deliberately simple, so the eggplant takes center stage and the sambal ingredients remain recognizable.
Eggplant is widely available in the Netherlands especially from late spring through autumn, but can be bought all year round. Choose specimens with smooth, firm skin and a green stem cap. Cut them into slices about two centimeters thick: thin slices soften faster and can fall apart, while thicker slices have enough time to become creamy inside. Fry them in batches so the pan stays hot and dark, roasted edges can form. A wide frying pan is handy; a wok works too.
The sambal isn't spooned over the eggplant raw. Gently frying the coarsely ground chili, shallot and garlic in oil softens their sharp, raw notes and brings out the flavor of the aromatics. Let the paste take on some color, but don't let it turn dark brown: burnt garlic makes the sauce bitter. Red chili peppers vary greatly in heat. For a milder version, remove the seeds and membranes from some of the peppers; for more heat, use smaller, hotter red peppers. Regular bell pepper adds color, but not the same warmth.
Jasmine rice makes a fragrant, fluffy base, but regular long-grain rice works too. Rinse the rice until the water is less cloudy and cook it with the measured amount of water; this keeps it light alongside the soft eggplant. A lime wedge at the table provides a fresh, tart counterpoint to the oil and chili. Squeeze the juice over the eggplant just before eating, or serve it separately so everyone can find their own balance. Extra toppings aren't needed; adding fresh herbs, for example, would be a personal variation.
Store leftover eggplant and rice separately in sealed containers in the refrigerator, and chill them as soon as possible after eating. Use within two days. Reheat rice just once, until steaming hot all the way through; if needed, add a small splash of water as it heats to loosen it. You can warm the eggplant in a pan over medium heat. Lime is best served fresh so its tart flavor stays bright.
Rinse the rice in a sieve until the rinsing water is less cloudy. Put the rice and 225 ml water in a pan and bring to a boil. Turn the heat to low, cover and cook for 10 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and leave the rice to stand, covered, for another 10 minutes.
Cut the eggplants into slices about 2 cm thick. Roughly chop the chili peppers, shallots and garlic, then grind them in a small food processor or mortar and pestle to make a coarse paste.
Heat about 60 ml oil in a wide frying pan over medium heat. Fry the eggplant in batches, leaving space between the slices, for about 4 minutes per side, until soft with dark edges. Add a little more oil if needed. Transfer the slices to a plate and sprinkle with about half the salt.
Heat the remaining oil in the same pan over medium-low heat. Fry the chili paste for 4–5 minutes, stirring regularly, until the shallot is soft and the paste is fragrant. Add the sugar and remaining salt and cook for 1 more minute.
Arrange the fried eggplant on a platter and spoon the sambal over it. Serve with the warm rice and lime wedges for squeezing over at the table.
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