Baked Roasted Nori Cakes

I was inspired by a recipe in Caribbean Vegan that uses eggplant and roasted nori to make a type of “fish” cake. The recipe in the book is more of a fritter, as it uses plenty of flour and is deep fried. I liked the idea of using nori to give a sea taste, but I am a little loathe to call vegan dishes after their meaty counterparts as it can give the wrong impression. To the best of my memory, these taste nothing like fish cakes. They are however, utterly yummy and I will make them again. They are more likely to fall apart while very hot, but hold together ok when allowed to cool a bit. Did I mention they are also gluten free!

Makes aproximately 8 cakes

Ingredients

2 lebanese eggplant, diced

3 nori sheets, torn into pieces

1 350gr block firm tofu

1 tsp hot chilli sauce

1 tsp minced ginger

1 tsp minced lemongrass

Pinch sea salt

1 onion

Cornflake crumbs

Method

1.Dice the onion and eggplant and sauté in a little oil until onion is translucent. Set aside.

2.In a large bowl, mash the tofu, and add salt, lemongrass, ginger, and chilli sauce.

3.Tear the nori sheets into small pieces and add to the tofu mixture.

4.Add the onion and eggplant, and stir well to combine. You can leave the mixture in the fridge until ready to use at this point.

5.Using a 1/3 cup to scoop mixture, firm down, and gently tap out onto the cornflake crumbs. Toss crumbs over the cake and around the sides, and place gently onto a baking tray lined with greaseproof paper. If they fall apart a bit, just gently press back together.

6.Bake in a 180C oven for approximately 30 minutes. Allow to cool slightly before removing from tray.