Amanda Laird: White eggplant, roast beetroot, baby carrots, coconut dressing

White eggplant, roast beetroot, baby carrots, coconut dressing. Photo / Babiche Martens

Serves 4

4 medium sized beetroot
Vegetable oil
1 tsp sesame oil
16 baby carrots
1 white eggplant
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Chives

Dressing

1 clove garlic, crushed
1 small red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
1 tsp palm sugar
200ml coconut milk
1/2 tsp fish sauce
1/2 tsp salt
1 stick of cinnamon
Juice of one lime

1 Preheat oven to 200C. Oil beetroot with tablespoon of vegetable oil and the sesame oil, season then wrap in tinfoil and bake for 1 hour. The cooking time will vary depending on size so open the foil and test with a skewer to check.

2 Drizzle the carrots with oil and season. Slice the eggplant and brush with oil. Place together on an oven tray and bake for 20 minutes, turning once.

3 To make the dressing; heat all the ingredients in a small saucepan and stir to dissolve the sugar. Taste for seasoning then remove the cinnamon stick. Slice the beetroot, plate the vegetables, spoon over the dressing and scatter over snipped chives.