Grilled Japanese Eggplant Salad with Lime and Chilli Dressing

Brush the eggplants with a little oil and season. Grill on a ridged grill or barbecue until tender and fully cooked but not falling apart. Under-cooked eggplant is bitter and unpleasant to eat. Set aside until ready to eat.

Dressing: Whisk the lime juice, fish sauce, chilli and sweet chilli sauce in a bowl. Add sugar to taste. It should be hot, sour, salty and only a little sweet. Adjust with lime juice and fish sauce if necessary.

To serve: Arrange the eggplants on a serving platter. Cut a slit along the top of each eggplant and gently pull apart, keeping the eggplants whole. Spoon half the dressing over. Combine the salad ingredients and toss with enough dressing to lightly coat. Stack the salad over the eggplants leaving the ends exposed. Serve at room temperature.