Japanese🥬 Vegetables

Miso-Glazed Eggplant (Nasu Dengaku)

Name: Miso-Glazed Eggplant (Nasu Dengaku)
Total time: 50 min
Cuisine: Japanese
Ingredients: ~2-3 Japanese eggplants; ~½ tsp Salt; ~¼ tsp MSG; ¼ cups Red miso paste; 1 tbsp Sake; 1 tbsp Mirin; 2 tsp Sugar; ~2 tbsp Oil; ~2 tbsp Sesame seeds; ~2 tbsp Scallions

⏱ 50 min

Japanese eggplant halves scored and seasoned, then grilled until creamy and tender, topped with a sweet and savory red miso glaze that caramelizes under heat, and finished with sesame seeds and scallions.

Adapted from a video by J. Kenji López-Alt

How to Make Miso-Glazed Eggplant (Nasu Dengaku) | Kenji Eats Japan

Watch on YouTube

Ingredients

Japanese eggplantssplit in half lengthwise; can substitute Chinese eggplants, but not globe eggplants~2-3est.
Saltfor seasoning~½ tspest.
MSGoptional~¼ tspest.
Red miso pastewhite miso or black miso can also be used depending on flavor preference¼ cups
Sake1 tbsp
Mirinmay add a splash more to adjust sauce thickness1 tbsp
Sugaradjust to taste2 tsp
Oilfor coating eggplants before grilling~2 tbspest.

Steps

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1
Halve the Japanese eggplants lengthwise and score the cut sides with diagonal crosshatch marks about 1/4 inch deep and spaced 1/2 to 3/4 inch apart. This helps the eggplant cook evenly and allows the sauce to penetrate.
2
Season the eggplant halves with salt and MSG. Let them sit for about 10 minutes to release moisture from the flesh.
3
Prepare the miso glaze by combining 1/4 cup red miso paste, 1 tablespoon sake, 1 tablespoon mirin, and 2 teaspoons sugar in a bowl. Mash together until smooth and well blended, adjusting the texture with more mirin if too thick. The mixture should have a consistency similar to smooth hummus—semi-liquid but holding its shape. Taste and adjust sugar as needed.
4
After the eggplants have rested, blot away the excess moisture with paper towels. Lightly coat both sides with oil.
5
Preheat the grill to high heat, then clean the grates using crumpled aluminum foil. Reduce heat to medium-high and place eggplants cut-side down on the grill. Cook for 5 to 7 minutes with the lid closed, rotating once halfway through for even charring, until completely tender and creamy throughout.
6
Once the first side is tender and charred, transfer the eggplants to a tray and flip them over. Spoon or spread the miso glaze evenly over the cut side of each eggplant half.
7
Place the tray on the cooler side of the grill. Turn the hot side to high heat and the cool side (where the tray sits) to low. Close the lid and cook using indirect heat for about 10 minutes, until the miso glaze bubbles and caramelizes slightly around the edges.
8
Transfer the finished eggplants to a serving plate. Garnish with sesame seeds and chopped scallions. Serve hot.

Miso-Glazed Eggplant (Nasu Dengaku)

Ingredients

Steps

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