Eggplant is easily one of those under-appreciated and misapprehended vegetables. Mainly because it can be tricky to cook. However, when it’s done right, this spongy vegetable has the ability to soak up flavors and offers the best silky, sumptuous texture. To get anyone excited about eggplant, I have a wonderfully simple recipe – Miso Glazed Eggplant (茄子の味噌焼き). You don’t have to worry about oil and potential sogginess. Plus, it has a crispy exterior, a super-creamy interior, and an impressive flavor. Give it a try!
A Quick Note on Miso Glazed Eggplant
Today’s recipe is an adaption of the classic Nasu no Miso Dengaku (茄子の味噌田楽) where eggplant is grilled and coated with a sweet miso glaze. The eggplant is commonly served together with other grilled items such as tofu, eggplant, daikon, taro root, and konnyaku as part of a dish known as Miso Dengaku (味噌田楽). You can read more about the history and recipe of Miso Dengaku in this post. While grill and pan-fry are common treatments for eggplant in Japan, here we’ll use the oven (and broiler) instead. Baking softens and sweetens the eggplant into the best texture, and it allows you to cook a big batch at once with minimal effort.
Ingredients for Miso Glazed Eggplant
Eggplant (I recommend using Japanese, Chinese, or Italian varieties. The slender ones cook a lot faster) Condiments: Miso, mirin, sake, sugar, and sesame oil Garnish: Sesame seeds, green onion, yuzu kosho (optional for a spicy kick)
How to Make the Best Miso Glazed Eggplant
What Miso to Use
A classic Miso Dengaku uses red miso or hatcho miso (see my recipe). In this recipe, however, I used Organic White Miso from Hikari Miso. This versatile miso is mild, flavorful, and smooth, and it goes well with the majority of dishes, including miso soup, and miso cod.
What if I have a different kind of miso?
If you already have a tub of miso in your refrigerator, go ahead and use it. Each variety of miso (whether brand or miso type) has a different salt level, so you do have to adjust the miso glaze by adding more mirin or sugar. White miso is on the sweeter side and tends to be less salty, so if you have red miso (aka miso), you probably need to balance out the flavor by adding more mirin or sugar.
What to Serve with Miso Glazed Eggplant
This Miso Glazed Eggplant can be enjoyed as a tasty appetizer, side or as a main dish. I love serving it with:
Teriyaki Salmon Tonkatsu (Japanese Pork Cutlet) Yakitori-Style Grilled Vegetables Nikujaga (Japanese Beef and Potato Stew) Kakitamajiru (Japanese Egg Drop Soup)
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