Vegan Bunny Elle

No you do not hate eggplants, you just need to try a different cooking method! Seared, glazed, and baked to perfection, these miso glazed eggplants are bursting with umami juicy flavors and so tenderer they just melt in your mouth.

Eggplant is one of my absolute favorite vegetables growing up, they have such an amazing texture and unique aroma. And even if you haven’t always been on team eggplants please give it one more try because soooo many of my followers have told me that they hated eggplants all their life until they tried this dish, it completely changed their mind and now they make it all the time!

This miso glazed method is from the classic Japanese dish Nasu Dengaku, the amazing umami depth of flavor of miso marries so harmonously with eggplants. And I added a personal twist which is to score the eggplant in a criss cross pattern. It creates not only a stunnig visual effect but also gives you all those nicely charred edges and makes it much easier for the sauce to penetrate inside.

One thing we gotta remember about eggplant is that they’re quite literally like a sponge – they’ll soak up oil so quickly and it’s like they’d never stop. So knowing this, you need to try to fight the urge to keep adding more oil just because the pan appears dry, otherwise the eggplant would turn out overly oily.

Miso Glazed Eggplant Nasu Dengaku

Don’t say you hate eggplants before you try this dish! This is the ultimate eggplant hater converter. Umami, juicy, tender, and melt in your mouth, you’ll never see eggplants the same way again.

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Ingredients Method Video

Ingredients

  

• 1 big eggplant
• 2 scallions chopped
• 2-3 dry red chili peppers chopped
• Extra white sesame for garnish
• Oil for cooking

For the glaze

• 1 tablespoon white miso paste
• 2 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1 1/2 teaspoon soy sauce/tamari
• 1 teaspoon coconut amino
• 1 teaspoon rice vinegar
• 1 teaspoon dark brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon white sesame seeds
• 1/4 teaspoon ginger powder

Method

 

1. Preheat the oven to 405°F;
2. Half the eggplant and score the flesh sides with a criss-cross pattern, glide the knife carefully do not cut through the skin;
3. In a large nonstick pan, heat a generous drizzle of canola oil over medium-high heat, sear the eggplant halves flesh side down first, for about 3-4 minutes until they’re slightly golden brown;
4. Then flip them over and sear the skin side for another 3 – 4 minutes and you should see them wrinkle up and soften a bit, then turn them over once again and sear the flesh side for another 2 minutes also until all golden brown;
5. Meanwhile, mix all the glaze ingredients till very smooth;
6. Spread the glaze onto the flesh sides of the eggplants, if your pan is not oven safe, transfer the eggplant onto a baking pan lined with parchment paper, and roast for 15 – 20 minutes;
7. Check to see the doneness of your eggplants halfway through as cooking time would vary depending on their sizes, the bigger ones will take longer to cook through and vice versa;
8. Garnish with the scallions, dried chili pepper, and extra white sesame seeds;
9. Serve hot, highly recommend you pair this flavorful dish with some steamy rice, enjoy!

Video