Miso Glazed Eggplant
This classic Japanese way of cooking eggplant has become a favourite of mine, not just because of its delicious sweet-savoury flavour, but also because it’s easy to cook at home. It’s a goodie for both vegetarians and vegans and can be served either as a main course with rice or as the Japanese do, as a side dish.
Inroduction
About this Recipe
By: Sheridan Rogers
Look for a good quality organic white miso paste when making this dish as it will lend depth of flavour. The dry, slightly bitter flavour of sake helps balance the sweetness of the mirin and sugar while the chilli flakes add a bit of heat. Aim to get the grilling time right so that the glaze caramellises but doesn’t burn.
Ingredients
Serves 4 -6, as a side dish
- sesame seeds, 1 tablespoon
- Japanese eggplants, 750g (about 12 eggplants)
- vegetable oil, 2 tablespoons
- white miso (preferably organic), 3 tablespoons
- mirin, 1 tablespoon
- grated fresh ginger, 1 tablespoon
- toasted sesame oil, 1 tablespoon
- sake, 1 tablespoon
- caster sugar, 3 teaspoons
- rice vinegar, 2 teaspoons
- chili flakes, 1/2 – 1 teaspoon (or to taste)
- green onions (shallots), 1/2 cup, finely sliced
Preheat oven to 220C (200C fan-forced). Place sesame seeds on a small baking tray and cook until they begin to turn colour, 5 – 7 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove and cool.
Remove calyx and stem from eggplants and slice in half lengthways. Place eggplants skin-side down on a baking tray lined with alfoil. Brush both sides with vegetable oil and place in oven. Turn over after about 15 minutes and roast a further 5 -10 minutes or until tender.
Remove from oven. Turn on the grill element.
Whisk together the miso, mirin, ginger, sesame oil, sake, sugar, rice vinegar and chilli flakes.
Spread about 1-2 teaspoons of the miso mixture over the surafce of each eggplant.
Place eggplants under the grill and cook until golden brown and bubbling and the glaze has caramellised, about 4 -5 minutes.
Remove from oven and place on a serving platter. Sprinkle with the toasted sesame seeds and sliced green onions.