Miso eggplant is a wonderfully seasoned Japanese dish you can easily make at home. Savory and tangy, it’s about to be your new favorite side!
Sometimes all I want for dinner is a deliciously roasted veggie. There are so many great options from simply using olive oil to breading to coating with delicious sauces. But today, we make miso eggplant.
Dengaku is what Japanese call “miso glazed” dishes and eggplant in Japanese is “nasu” so this delicious dish is plainly called “nasu dengaku.”
Salty miso, acidic mirin, and a spoonful of sugar meld into the most wonderfully textured glaze. You will always want to eat eggplant this way! Because of how we slice the eggplant, it’s also perfect for sharing. You can enjoy this on your own and eat the entire thing, or cut along the lines and serve to a group!
Ingredients for Miso Eggplant
Some quick ingredients come together to season this eggplant. They might not already be in your pantry, but they are amazing to give umami to your food and I’ll share a few recipes to help you use them up!
- Eggplant: Reach for the standard Italian eggplant and not globe or mini, as that’s what I’ve based my cooking times on.
- Sesame Oil: This bottle may seem a bit pricy in the store, but the flavor is what is familiar to many Asian dishes and a little goes a long way.
- Miso Paste: Soybeans are fermented with a mold starter and salt is then added. This is great umami and like the oil, you only need a little!
- Mirin: A sweet and tangy vinegar. Look for it in the vinegar section of your grocery store.
- Sugar: Just a bit to aid in caramelization.
Eggplant vs. Aubergine
Miso aubergine? Why not! You may or may not be familiar with the French word which simply means “purple.” The plant was called aubergine before the name eggplant came about, and is still used in most parts of the world. Eggplant is used in North American and Australia.
How to make Miso Glazed Eggplant
This couldn’t be easier! We are simply roasting our eggplant, then glazing before broiling the glaze into a delicious crust!
Step 1: Prep
Preheat the oven and line a sturdy baking sheet with parchment. Halve a cleaned eggplant and then crosshatch it, making sure not to cut all the way through the skin.
Step 2: Bake
Brush the sesame oil over the cut sides and then place them on the prepared baking sheet, cut side down. Bake until tender.
Step 3: Miso
Stir together remaining ingredients, and brush this onto the cut sides of the eggplant, leaving them cut side UP on the sheet.
Step 4: Broil
Move the oven rack to the middle of the oven and turn the broiler on. Broil carefully until the glaze is bubbling and the perfect golden color.
Step 5: Serve
Serve hot with your favorite toppings like scallions and sesame seeds, and a side of rice.
Recipe tips
Inferno: Be careful! Most parchment paper is rated to 450°F and broiling is usually at 500°F. Because the rack is further from the heating element and you are keeping an eye on things, you should be ok! But you can also use foil if you aren’t comfortable with the parchment.
Protein Boost: You can also brush this glaze on slabs of pressed firm tofu and simply give a quick broil.
Side Dish Worthy: Enjoy this miso eggplant recipe on its own or serve with a side of rice or rice noodles.
Serve it with:
I love to serve a meal from a different culture or cuisine. What a great way to have fun with friends.
- Kimchi is the perfect tutorial for adding crunch to your meal.
- Asian Inspired Carrot Noodles are the perfect grain-free side dish.
- Kimchi Fried Rice brings in everyone’s favorite rice with a twist.
Ingredients
- 1 eggplant
- 1 Tbsp sesame oil 15 mL
- 2 Tbsp miso paste 30 g
- 1 Tbsp mirin 15 mL
- 1 tsp sugar
- To serve: green onions, sesame seeds, rice
Instructions
- Prep: Preheat oven to 400°F (204°C). Cut the eggplant in half lengthwise, then score it – with the cut side facing up, lightly slice on a diagonal all the way along the eggplant. Slice in a diagonal direction the other way as well, making sure to only go about ½-inch deep.
- Bake: Brush sesame oil evenly over the cut side of both halves, then place cut side down on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes, or until tender.
- Miso: Stir together miso paste, mirin, and sugar. When eggplant is finished cooking, carefully remove it from the oven, flip it so the cut side is facing up, and spread the miso onto it.
- Broil: Set eggplant cut side up, put back in the oven (middle rack), and turn the oven to broil. Broil, watching carefully, until miso mixture is golden brown and bubbling.
- Serve: Serve hot with sliced green onions, sesame seeds, and rice.
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