Japanese miso aubergine recipe is a delicious vegan recipe known in traditional cuisine as nasu dengaku. Fans of aubergines can rejoice. This is an aubergine recipe at its best. And even aubergine haters can get over eating this vegan dish because of the delicious sauce. For one thing, the aubergine is roasted in the oven to draw out the delicious flavours. And the savoury, sweet umami dressing puts the crowning touch on the whole thing. It’s almost addictive. And if you like miso, you’ll love the dressing anyway, because it’s made with miso paste.
This aubergine recipe reminds me of my hometown Vancouver. Because in this melting pot there are incredibly many cultures and accordingly also restaurants of all kinds. Japanese restaurants in particular offer incredibly delicious dishes. I am a huge fan of Japanese cuisine. There is so much more to discover than “just” sushi. That’s why I cooked a lot of Japanese food myself in my 20s. So I got a bit nolstagic when I made this recipe. It also shows very nicely how a simple and super delicious meal can be made with very few ingredients and effort. And if you’re not quite convinced by aubergine, you can also use this miso sauce for other ingredients. I would try it with salmon, cod or tofu. And if it’s summer, you can also use the sauce on meat skewers for grilling.
Tips to make Japanese Miso Aubergine Recipe Perfect
It is best to use medium-sized aubergines. Large aubergines can taste bitter and have more seeds.
If you sprinkle the aubergine with salt beforehand, the water is removed from the flesh and it sweats. This way you get a firm and creamy flesh that tastes simply delicious.
I coat the aubergine twice during baking. You can also brush it before baking and again just before serving. And if you only make two medium sized aubergines (instead of four small ones), then you can serve the rest of the sauce if anyone wants more. As I said, it tastes sensationally good!
This is the best way to make Miso sauce
You only need a few Japanese ingredients for the miso aubergines. These include sake, mirin and light miso paste.
Sake
This is a Japanese rice wine. However, it is not made from grapes like normal wine, but from rice. The Japanese not only like to drink sake (cold or warm), but they also use it for cooking. Actually, it’s exactly the same as we do with our wine, except that we don’t drink warm wine.
Mirin
This is a sweet Japanese rice wine. It has a high sugar content and creates a balance to the salty flavour of the soy sauce. It is similar to sake, but contains less alcohol and more sugar.
Shiro Miso
This is a mild miso paste compared to red miso paste, which is used for miso soup. The aroma is also somewhat less dominant and goes very well with dressings and sauces.
What does miso eggplant taste like?
Miso eggplant is a dish made by roasting or grilling eggplant and then coating it with a mixture of miso paste, sugar, and other seasonings. The result is a sweet and savory dish that is slightly salty, with a rich, umami flavor. The eggplant itself will be tender and soft, and the miso glaze will add an additional depth of flavor. Some people describe the taste of miso eggplant as being similar to that of caramelized onions, with a slightly sweet and savory taste. Overall, it is a tasty and flavorful dish that is a great side dish or vegetarian main course.
Best Miso Aubergine Recipe
Servings: 4 Preparation: 30 minutes Cooking time: 40 minutes Calories: 212 Fat:6g
Ingredients
For the aubergine:
4 Small aubergines (approx. 225 g each), cut in half lengthways.
2 tbsp mirin (Japanese rice wine)
2 tbsp sake (see also tips below)
2 tbsp whole cane sugar (Mascobado, or alternatively coconut blossom sugar)
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (mild oil)
4 tbsp white miso paste (shiro: white fermented soybean paste)
For garnish:
1 tbsp roasted sesame seeds (black or white)
Finely chopped coriander leaves
To serve:
Cooked jasmine rice
Instructions
- Lay the aubergines out on a baking tray lined with baking paper with the cut side facing up.
- Sprinkle the surface with salt and carefully rub the salt into the flesh.
- Set aside and let rest (30 minutes). Then, using a clean kitchen towel or kitchen paper, pat the aubergine dry as it will sweat.
- Preheat the oven to 200° C.
- In a small saucepan, heat the ingredients (mirin, sake, whole cane sugar, olive oil) over medium heat. Stir in the miso paste until the sugar has dissolved. Continue to cook, stirring constantly (5 minutes). The sauce will thicken slightly and reduce a little. Remove from the heat.
- Using a sharp knife, cut the flesh into diamonds without damaging the skin of the aubergine (see also pictures).
- Using a kitchen brush, spread half of the miso sauce generously over the cut surface of the aubergine.
- Place the prepared aubergines in the preheated oven and bake until tender (between 30 and 35 minutes depending on the size of the aubergines). Halfway through, remove from the oven and brush again with the sauce.
- While the aubergines are in the oven, prepare the jasmine rice according to the instructions on the packet (15 minutes).
- Remove the aubergine from the oven and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Sprinkle with coriander leaves and serve with the hot rice.
- Enjoy!
Tips
If you like, you can also serve my Asian cherry tomato salad with this:
125-150 g truss tomatoes
juice of 1/2 lemon
1/2 red onion (finely chopped)
Half a bunch of fresh coriander (chopped)
A few drops of soy sauce
A few drops of mild extra virgin olive oil
If you don’t have sake, you can leave it out or use a dry sherry or Chinese rice wine instead.
You can also use 2-3 medium aubergines for this recipe. If you have some miso sauce left over, you can serve it on the table in case someone wants more.
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Ingredients
- For the aubergine:
- 4 Small aubergines (approx. 225 g each), cut in half lengthways.
- 2 tbsp mirin (Japanese rice wine)
- 2 tbsp sake (see also tips below)
- 2 tbsp whole cane sugar (Mascobado, or alternatively coconut blossom sugar)
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (mild oil)
- 4 tbsp white miso paste (shiro: white fermented soybean paste)
- For garnish:
- 1 tbsp roasted sesame seeds (black or white)
- Finely chopped coriander leaves
- To serve:
- Cooked jasmine rice
Instructions
- Lay the aubergines out with the cut side facing upwards on a baking tray lined with baking paper.
- Sprinkle the surface with salt and carefully rub the salt into the flesh.
- Set aside and leave to rest (30 minutes). Then, using a clean kitchen towel or kitchen paper, pat the aubergine dry as it will sweat.
- Preheat the oven to 200° C.
- In a small saucepan, heat the ingredients (mirin, sake, whole cane sugar, olive oil) over medium heat. Stir in the miso paste until the sugar has dissolved. Continue to cook, stirring constantly (5 minutes). The sauce will thicken a little and reduce slightly. Remove from the heat.
- Using a sharp knife, cut the flesh into diamonds without damaging the skin of the aubergine (see also pictures).
- Using a kitchen brush, spread half of the miso sauce generously over the cut surface of the aubergine.
- Place the prepared aubergines in the preheated oven and bake until tender (between 30 and 35 minutes depending on the size of the aubergines). Halfway through, remove from the oven and brush again with the sauce.
- While the aubergines are in the oven, prepare the jasmine rice according to the instructions on the packet (15 minutes).
- Remove the aubergine from the oven and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Sprinkle with coriander leaves and serve with the hot rice.
- Enjoy!
Notes
*195 calories per serving if you serve 100g jasmine rice.
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