What do you consider a quick meal? For me, anything cooks in one pot or one pan are most ideal. That’s why I often turn to Japanese rice bowls (donburi) when I need something fast and easy-to-assemble. Today’s recipe is Soy-Glazed Eggplant Donburi (茄子の甘辛丼), which is also plant-based. I could easily cook and eat this eggplant donburi over and over again!
What is Eggplant Donburi? A Luxurious Vegan Rice Bowl
Eggplant is undoubtedly the star ingredient of this rice bowl. Think of it as the tofu of the vegetable world. It’s mild and versatile, and can take on almost any flavor. What sets eggplant apart from other vegetables is its unique structural integrity contrasted with its silky, meaty, and utterly luxurious texture. That said, it’s very important to cook it right. Here, searing the eggplant until nicely charred delivers the best, deepest flavor. It renders a buttery tender texture with a crispy edge that is hard to resist. When tossed with a quick sauce of mirin and soy sauce, it makes the most satisfying one-bowl comfort food with minimal effort.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Japanese or Chinese eggplants kosher salt – I use Diamond Crystal brand shiso leaves (perilla/ooba) – or use green onion/scallion ginger potato starch or cornstarch neutral oil mirin (Japanese sweet rice wine) – you can adjust the sweetness to taste soy sauce – for gluten-free, use GF soy sauce cooked Japanese short-grain rice – see how to cook short-grain rice with a rice cooker, pot over the stove, Instant Pot, or donabe toasted white sesame seeds – for garnish
How to Make Soy-Glazed Eggplant Donburi
3 Tips For Cooking the Eggplant
1. Keep the eggplant skin
Eggplant flesh gets tender and soft when it’s cooked through, and if you cook it for too long, the flesh gets mushy. Therefore, it’s very important to:
Keep the eggplant skin attached to the flesh to maintain its shape. Cut the eggplant so the flesh is held by the skin.
For this purpose, I only recommend using Japanese, Chinese, or Italian eggplant. If you use American/globe eggplant, cut it into the wedges and use only the part that has skin (and use the middle part for other recipes).
2. Sprinkle salt
Eggplant has soft, spongy flesh with tiny air pockets that acts like a sponge that soaks up oil and liquids. While we like this vegetable to absorb all the good flavors, the challenge is to prevent it from becoming greasy. The trick is to break down the air pockets and reduce the sponginess by salting the eggplant first. Salting also prevents the eggplant from discoloration. Just make sure to wipe off the excess moisture before frying.
3. Coat with potato starch/cornstarch
Coating the eggplant with potato starch (or cornstarch) can help:
prevent the eggplant from soaking up all the oil. create a nice golden crust. absorb all the seasonings. thicken the sauce slightly.
Make sure to remove the excess potato starch and apply only a thin coating.
How to Serve Eggplant Donburi
I hope you give this Soy-Glazed Eggplant Donburi a try, especially if you’re an eggplant skeptic. This recipe will win you over! Serve this vegan rice bowl with miso soup and a side of pickle. Here are some of my suggestions:
Vegan Miso Soup 4 Easy Soy Sauce Pickles
Other Delicious Vegan Dishes
Vegan Poke Bowl Shiso Garlic Pasta Kenchinjiru Vegan Miso Soup
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