Rice bowls are lifesavers for everyday dinners, be it a hectic weeknight or a lazy Friday night. Today’s rice bowl, Eggplant Unagi Donburi (茄子と鰻の丼ぶり), is a little luxurious yet simple enough to pull together when you need dinner on the table fast. The sweet meat of unagi, tender eggplant, fluffy steamed rice, and the most tantalizing sauce all in one bowl. You’d be in for a treat!
Economical Way to Enjoy Unagi
If you are like us and enjoy eating unagi, you have probably noticed that the price of eels has skyrocketed in recent years. It used to be a relatively inexpensive ingredient, but now it has become a highly prized food. With today’s recipe, you cut down on the serving of unagi, yet you won’t feel like you’re missing out. I use two simple tricks: Why eggplant, you may ask? Well, eggplant has a meaty and tender texture once it is cooked, and best of all is its ability to soak up the delicious sauce like a sponge. Not a fan of eggplant? You can use another meaty ingredient like portobello mushrooms. But do give eggplant a try first. You’d be surprised how complementary eggplant is with unagi. And here comes my second trick. When you smother everything in the delicious homemade unagi sauce, everything tastes just like unagi! The sauce is so utterly good that it evokes the flavor of the entire dish, don’t you think? Mr. JOC and my kids, who are not so fond of eggplant, devour the rice bowl like they haven’t eaten for days.
Ingredients for Eggplant Unagi Donburi
For the eggplant and unagi:
Japanese or Chinese eggplant Unagi (freshwater eel) fillet Neutral oil for cooking Water Sake — Substitute with dry sherry, Chinese rice wine, or water Unagi sauce — Store-bought or Homemade
To serve:
Cooked Japanese short-grain rice Shiso leaves (perilla/ooba) — Optional, but if you can get them, don’t skip the herb! Shichimi togarashi (Japanese seven spice) and Japanese sansho pepper — Also optional, but these seasonings add a great kick to the rice bowl.
Overview: Cooking Steps
Gather the ingredients by cooking the steamed rice and cutting the eggplants, shiso leaves (if using), and unagi. Cook the eggplant pieces in a frying pan until they turn brown. Add the unagi to the pan. Then, add water and sake. Cover with a lid and cook for 1 minute. Open the lid and let the remaining liquid evaporate. Add unagi sauce to the pan and coat the eggplant and unagi well. Add the cooked rice to individual serving bowls and transfer the eggplant and unagi over the rice. Garnish with the shiso leaves. Sprinkle with shichimi togarashi and sansho pepper if you’d like. Serve and enjoy!
Ingredients Notes
Homemade Unagi Sauce
Did you know it’s super easy to make Homemade Unagi Sauce? It’s one of the condiments that I like to make when I have time in the kitchen and store in the refrigerator for easy access. All you need is 4 ingredients: soy sauce, sake, mirin, and sugar! With the magic homemade sauce, you get to enjoy this Eggplant Unagi Donburi, Yaki Onigiri, and Unadon (Unagi Donburi/Unaju).
Shiso Leaves
As the final touch, I used shiso (perilla leaves) to garnish the rice bowl. It not only adds a pop of color but also provides a refreshing taste to the dish. A common herb used in Japanese cooking, shiso goes well with the milder flavor of eggplant. I often use both together in recipes, so check out these delicious ginger pork rolls and this eggplant side/appetizer). It’s optional, but if you can source green shiso from your local Japanese grocery stores or farmers market, get them for this Eggplant & Unagi Rice Bowl!
Recipe Tips
Store packages of unagi in the freezer during the summer months. This allows you to prepare a great dinner even when you’re pressed for time. Use freezer rice for a speedy dinner! The only time-consuming aspect of this meal is making rice using a rice cooker or pot over the stove, or instant pot separately. But if you happen to have some frozen rice in the freezer, simply thaw and reheat the rice, then cook the eggplant and unagi.
More Delicious Japanese Eggplant Recipes
Our Best Eggplant Recipes Wish to learn more about Japanese cooking? Sign up for our free newsletter to receive cooking tips & recipe updates! And stay in touch with me on Facebook, Pinterest, YouTube, and Instagram. Editor’s Note: This post was originally published on April 5, 2011. New images and step by step images have been added to the post in May 2019.
