Japanese Miso-Glazed Eggplant (Nasu no Dengaku) Recipe

By
J. Kenji López-Alt
Kenji Lopez Alt
J. Kenji López-Alt
Culinary Consultant
Kenji is the former culinary director for Serious Eats and a current culinary consultant for the site. He is also a New York Times food columnist and the author of The Food Lab: Better Home Cooking Through Science.
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Updated Aug. 30, 2018
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J. Kenji Lopez-Alt

Deep, rich miso is a natural partner for the smoky flavor of the grill. For the best caramelization, these eggplant slices are finished off in the oven.

Note: Mirin is a sweet rice-based wine. It can be found in any Japanese or Asian grocery story. If unavailable, you can make a substitue by heating 1 cup of sake with 1 cup of sugar until dissolved.

Recipe Details

Japanese Miso-Glazed Eggplant (Nasu no Dengaku) Recipe

Active 25 mins
Total 25 mins
Serves 2 servings

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons mirin (see notes)

  • 2 tablespoons sake

  • 1/4 cup mild red or white miso

  • 2 tablespoons sugar

  • 4 Japanese or Chinese eggplants, stemmed, split in half lengthwise (about 1 1/2 pounds)

  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

  • 2 teaspoons toasted sesame seeds

  • 1/3 cup sliced scallions

Directions

  1. Combine mirin, sake, miso, and sugar in a small bowl and stir with a fork until a homogenous paste is formed. Set aside.

  2. Rub eggplants on all surfaces with vegetable oil. Heat a grill pan or prepare a gas or charcoal grill to high heat. Grill eggplant, cut-side-down until charred grill marks appear, about 1 1/2 minutes. Rotate 45 degrees and cook until checkered hash marks appear, about 1 1/2 minutes longer. Flip and continue cooking until nearly tender, about 4 minutes longer. Transfer eggplant to a large plate and allow to cool slightly.

  3. Adjust a rack 6-inches from the element and preheat broiler to high heat. Carefully spread the miso glaze on the cut surface of every eggplant. Place on a rimmed baking sheet or foil-lined broiler pan, face up. Broil until completely tender and glaze has begun to caramelize, about 4 minutes. Transfer to a serving platter, sprinkle with sesame seeds and scallions, and serve

Special equipment

grill or grill pan

This Recipe Appears In

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
371 Calories
11g Fat
60g Carbs
8g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 2
Amount per serving
Calories 371
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 11g 14%
Saturated Fat 1g 6%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 1288mg 56%
Total Carbohydrate 60g 22%
Dietary Fiber 11g 40%
Total Sugars 32g
Protein 8g
Vitamin C 8mg 38%
Calcium 80mg 6%
Iron 2mg 13%
Potassium 555mg 12%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)