Agebitashi

• 1 eggplant (aubergine)
• 2 asparagus spears
• 1 red capsicum (pepper)

Combine all the marinade ingredients in a bowl large enough to hold the vegetables later. Roughly chop the eggplant into 3 cm (1¼ in) chunks, then soak in salted water for 5 minutes. Eggplant is like a sponge, so to prevent it from absorbing too much oil, it is better to do this before cooking it (and it will keep its pretty purple colour that way). Dry the eggplant well, otherwise the oil will