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Tender and juicy, this miso glazed eggplant makes for an impressive and delicious vegetarian main meal that’s also super simple to make.
A little bit sweet and a little bit savory, Japanese miso eggplant – aka nasu dengaku – is the easiest way to bring plenty of umami flavors to a humble vegetable. With perfectly cooked, tender eggplant and a delicious miso glaze to top it all off, there’s no easier dish to make for vegan and vegetarian friends that delivers on taste. And the best part? It only needs seven pantry-staple ingredients.
Table of contents
Ingredients
- Eggplants: Pick smaller ones so they fit properly in the baking dish. They should be a deep purple color and have unblemished skin.
- Vegetable Oil: Any neutral cooking oil will also work.
- Mirin: A variety of fermented rice wine similar to sake, mirin is a rich, sweet wine frequently used in Japanese cooking. It can be found online or in Asian specialty stores. Use rice vinegar for a non-alcoholic version.
- Miso Paste: You can use store-bought or use homemade miso paste.
- Green Onions: Diced
- Brown Sugar
- Sesame Seeds
How to make miso glazed eggplant
Prepare The Eggplant: With a sharp kitchen knife, slice the eggplants lengthwise in half. Place flesh-side up and then score the white insides in a criss-cross pattern so it looks like small cubes (see the photo below). Don’t press down too hard – you don’t want to slice up the eggplant.
Pan-Cook Eggplant: Set a large frying pan over medium-high heat and add the oil. Allow to warm. Then put your eggplant halves in, skin side down, and use something heavy to press down slightly. I use a heavy saucepan lid, though a large plate will also work. Cook for 3-4 minutes until the skin starts to brown. Then, using a fork or spatula, flip the eggplant over and again press down slightly. Cook for a further 3-4 minutes until the eggplant flesh starts to brown.
Prepare Miso Glaze Sauce: In a small bowl, mix the mirin, miso paste, sugar, and sesame seeds (reserve some for garnish) until fully combined and smooth.
Coat Eggplant With Sauce: Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil, then set your eggplant halves on it, skin side down. Using a small brush or a spoon, spread the miso sauce generously all over the eggplant flesh.
Broil In Oven: Set the oven to broil, then cook the miso eggplant for about 4-5 minutes until the brown sugar glaze begins to bubble and turns a rich caramel color. Watch carefully – broiling can burn things quickly!
Garnish and Serve: Remove the miso-glazed eggplant from the oven and sprinkle with the rest of the sesame seeds and the diced green onions. Serve while still hot and caramelized.
Storage instructions
- In The Fridge: Allow the miso glazed eggplant to cool completely before transferring it into an airtight container. Store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- To Freeze: I don’t recommend freezing miso glazed eggplant – the texture of the eggplant can change during the freezing and thawing process.
- To Reheat: Add the leftover eggplant to a baking tray and cook in the oven at 300ºF/150°C for 10-15 minutes until the flesh is warmed through and the top starts to bubble.
What to serve with miso eggplant
- With Rice: Though miso eggplant is typically enjoyed as a side dish, it makes an easy main meal when paired with a bowl of fresh rice. White rice will keep the flavors simple or you can try it with jasmine, brown, or rice pilaf.
- With Japanese Side Dishes: Pair this eggplant with other Japanese-inspired sides – try it with pickled daikon radish, a Japanese-style Kani salad, ramen eggs, or a crunchy cucumber salad.
- With Japanese Mains: To make a fully authentic Japanese meal, pair this eggplant recipe with a donburi dowl, katsu chicken, sushi rolls, an easy teriyaki salmon, or a bowl of your favorite ramen.
More eggplant recipes
If you try this miso eggplant recipe, let me know how it goes in the comments below. I’d appreciate a recipe card rating and would love to see your recipe recreations – tag me on Instagram @Alphafoodie!
Miso Glazed Eggplant
Ingredients
- 26 oz eggplants 2 medium-sized
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil or other neutral oil
- 1/4 cup miso paste I used brown
- 2 Tbsp mirin
- 1.5 Tbsp brown sugar
- 1 Tbsp sesame seeds I used white
- 1-2 stalks green onions diced, to garnish
Instructions
Prepare the eggplant
- With a sharp kitchen knife, slice the eggplants lengthwise in half. Place flesh-side up and then score the white insides in a criss-cross pattern so it looks like small cubes.
- Set a large frying pan over medium-high heat and add the oil. Allow to warm.
- Add the eggplant halves, skin side down, and use something heavy to press down slightly. I use a heavy saucepan lid, though a large plate will also work.
- Cook for 3-4 minutes until the skin starts to brown. Then, using a fork or spatula, flip the eggplant over and again press down slightly. Cook for a further 3-4 minutes until the eggplant flesh starts to brown.
Prepare the glaze
- In a small bowl, mix the mirin, miso paste, sugar, and sesame seeds (reserve some for garnish) until fully combined.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, then set the cooked eggplant halves on it, skin side down. Using a small brush or a spoon, spread the miso sauce generously all over the eggplant flesh.
Broil
- Set the oven to broil, then cook the glazed eggplants for about 4-5 minutes until the brown sugar glaze begins to bubble and turns a rich caramel color.
- Remove from the oven and sprinkle with the rest of the sesame seeds and diced green onions. Serve while still hot and caramelized.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
