This recipe is for a classic Japanese Nasu Dengaku dish that you will like! Tender broiled eggplant slices drizzled with a sweet miso glaze - delicious and ready in 15 minutes! Everyone has problems cooking with some items. Until recently, the eggplant was my most difficult component. I couldn't seem to get it right, despite the fact that it is one of my favorite veggies when cooked correctly! I either overcooked it till it was mushy and half crumbled - or I undercooked it (perhaps the worst way to serve eggplant to someone who has never tasted it). Crunchy adversity. But I'm delighted to share the delectable eggplant recipe that ultimately broke the spell for me! This Nasu Dengaku dish was my first big success with eggplant. And I'm thrilled to be able to share it with you! What exactly is Nasu Dengaku? Nasu Dengaku is a traditional Japanese side dish prepared with sliced eggplant that has been scored and coated with a sweet and salty miso glaze. The direct translation is "grilled eggplant over a fire," which is exactly how it's done in Japan. My method differs somewhat in that I pan-fried the eggplant halves for a few minutes before broiling them until the miso sauce caramelizes and bubbles. The taste is rich, smokey, and sweet, with a toasted, nutty undercurrent around the edges. It's AMAZING! Nasu Dengaku Eggplant Ingredients: When I cook this meal, I prefer to use little eggplant. They are less bitter than bigger eggplants. Male eggplants contain fewer seeds as well. Looking at the underside of eggplant might help you determine its sex. Male eggplants are slimmer and have a circular indentation mark at the bottom. Female eggplants are rounder and have an extended depression. 
Vegetable Oil: Use any neutral-flavored cooking oil for this dish. Miso Paste: I prefer to use awase miso, which is a red and white miso paste blend. It's flavorful, a touch sweet, and oozing with umami. Learn all there is to know about miso paste right here. Sugar: A little of sugar offers a touch of sweetness without being overbearing. It also aids in the caramelization of the sauce under the broiler. Mirin: This fermented rice wine complements many Japanese foods and helps to balance out the saltiness of miso paste. You may get mirin at your local Asian food shop or on Amazon. Sesame Seeds: Just before serving, sprinkle a few sesame seeds on top of your eggplant. The roasted nuttiness will appeal to you! Miso-glazed Japanese eggplant recipe Make the eggplant. To begin, cut the eggplant in half lengthwise. Then, using a knife, score the interior flesh of each half in a crisscross pattern. Prepare the eggplant. Start a pan on high heat and add your oil to coat the bottom of the pan. Place the eggplant halves in the pan, skin side down. Cook for a few minutes, or until the skin becomes brown. Turn it around! Then, turn the eggplant over and heat for 3-4 minutes, or until the eggplant is cooked through and the interior flesh has browned. 
Prepare the miso glaze. In the meanwhile, mix together the miso paste, mirin, and sugar in a small basin until smooth. Use the sauce. Remove the eggplant halves from the pan and lay them on a baking sheet lined with foil, skin side down. Brush the miso glaze liberally over each piece. The Nasu Dengaku should be grilled. Broil for 4 minutes in a preheated oven. The glaze should be bubbling on top. Serve. Serve immediately topped with sesame seeds. That's all! So simple. The eggplant will be soft and well cooked. And the taste is incredible!
- A cooking suggestion for eggplant
Using a knife to score the interior of the eggplant helps ensure that it cooks correctly in the pan. To score the eggplant, cut the internal flesh in a crisscross pattern without cutting the outer peel. If you're a visual learner, watch the video on this page. When pan frying, it's also a good idea to cook the meat long enough to get a reasonable bit of color on it, but not so long that it turns to mush. Remember that the last phase of cooking is done beneath the high heat of your oven's broiler. What complements Nasu Dengaku well? You may serve this miso Dengaku as a main course with plain white rice on the side. See my article on how to make excellent Japanese rice on the stovetop and in a rice cooker for more information. 
Serve with savory meals like this mouthwatering Japanese curry, this vegetable-filled Japanese fried rice, and this beautifully crispy baked chicken katsu. Why not make a simple side salad and season it with this famed Japanese restaurant's carrot and ginger dressing? You can't possibly make a mistake! Check out these other easy and tasty eggplant recipes: Chinese eggplant sautéed in garlic, sautéed with a spicy miso sauce, and gratin of eggplant with kabocha miso. Ingredients
- 2 small eggplant
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil or other neutral oil
- 1/4 cup miso paste
- 2 tablespoons mirin
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- sesame seeds
Instructions
- Cut the eggplant in half, then into manageable squares, using a knife.
- Place eggplant, skin side down, in a skillet with oil in it over high heat.
- Cook just long enough for the skin to become brown, about two minutes. After the eggplant has been covered with a lid, flip it over. When the eggplant is tender, cook (about 3 to 4 minutes).
- Mix miso, mirin, and sugar in a bowl as you wait.
- Put the eggplant on a baking pan, then wrap it with foil. Using a pastry brush, evenly distribute the miso Dengaku mixture over each eggplant.
- The broiler needs four minutes of preheating. The miso mixture ought to be bubbling when it is taken out of the oven.
- Sesame seeds should be sprinkled on top right away.