Miso glazed eggplant is a very popular Japanese dish which is usually vegetarian or even vegan.
In Japanese, it’s called nasu dengaku, in which dengaku refers to a glazed ingredient (eggplant / nasu, in our case). Depending on the choice of ingredients, the preparation method can vary. Eggplants, for instance, are cooked over an open flame, while others may be steamed, grilled or pan fried. I didn’t cook my eggplants over an open flame today, since another smoke layer on my walls was really not necessary 😉.
Miso glazed eggplant ingredients
In this paragraph you’ll find general information about used ingredients. Details about quantities and step-by-step preparation can be found in the recipe card at the end of the article.
You’ll only need 4 ingredients to make this recipe! Well, 5 if you want it spicy 😉
- eggplants – better use small or medium sized eggplants so they cook fast; plus, they tend to be less bitter than large eggplants and have fewer seeds;
- white miso – feel free to combine it with red miso, if you wish to give more flavors to the dish;
- mirin – Japanese fermented rice wine used for the nice flavors it brings to any dish; it also tempers a bit the saltiness of the miso; you can use cooking sake instead;
- maple syrup – traditionally, sugar is used to give the dish a slight caramel flavor while melting in the oven, on top of the eggplants;
- sriracha – or other hot sauce you like; or just skip it.
How to make miso glazed eggplant
Nothing complicated here.
To make the glaze, place all ingredients in a bowl and combine well. Add 2-3 tbsp of water if the glaze is too thick.
To prepare the eggplants, cut them in half, lengthwise. Then score the inside flesh of each half with a sharp knife in a criss-cross pattern, so the glaze flavors can easily infiltrate.
Then follow two simple cooking steps.
First, coat the bottom of a pan with a bit of oil and cook the eggplants on both sides for a few minutes, until the skin begins to brown and the inside flesh is cooked through.
Next, place the cooked eggplants on an oven rack, with the skin facing down. Then brush each piece generously on top with the miso glaze.
Place the eggplants into the oven and broil at 190° C for about 5 minutes, until the glaze on top starts bubbling.
When they’re done, top with sesame seeds or spring onions and serve with rice (I made curried rice, hence the yellow color 😉).
Other miso recipes
Other eggplant recipes
If you like this miso glazed eggplant recipe, please rate it or leave a comment below. And, if you make this nasu dengaku recipe, you can share a photo and tag Choose Tasty either on Instagram (#choose_tasty) or on Facebook (#choosetasty). I’d love to see your creations.
Miso Glazed Eggplant | Nasu Dengaku Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 medium sized eggplants
- 80 g white miso
- 30 ml mirin
- 1 tsp maple syrup
- 1 tsp sriracha optional
Instructions
- Put into a bowl all ingredients for the glaze and combine well; add 2-3 tbsp of water if too thick; set aside;
- Preheat the oven at 190°C;
- Cut each eggplant in half, lengthwise; score the inside flesh of each half eggplant with a sharp knife in a criss-cross pattern;
- Coat the bottom of a pan with oil and cook each piece of eggplant about 2 minutes on each side, until the flesh softens and the skin turns brown;
- Place the eggplants on an oven grid with the skins facing down;
- Brush the surface of each eggplant half with miso glaze;
- Broil the eggplants for about 5 minutes, until the glaze starts bubbling;
- Remove from the oven and serve immediately with steamed rice.
