This Miso Eggplant is twice-cooked to make gooey, salty, sweet eggplant served with rice and pak choi - a yummy vegetarian dinner.

Eggplant can have a bad rap, as being too bitter or a funny texture. But I’m here to tell you that it’s delicious, and this recipe is going to help make you love it!
There are a few easy things you can do to prepare your eggplant for cooking that will make it one THOUSAND times better.
- Score your eggplant deeply - this will mean more sauce gets into all the crevices.
- Soak in boiled, salted water for 15 mins - this will remove the bitterness and soften the eggplant.
- Cook face down first, then under the grill - this will mean the eggplant is properly cooked before we crisp up the top and get that glaze working.
Why do you soak eggplant in water before cooking?
Eggplant, especially if it is a larger fruit, can get a thicker skin and more bitter flesh. There are a few ways of making the flesh less bitter, like covering with salt to draw out the bitterness, but the easiest way I’ve found (by far) is to soak it for just 15 mins in salted water. I decided to take that up a notch in this recipe, and use boiled water from the kettle. This removes the salt but also starts to cook the flesh, softening it.
Here’s how you do it:
- Slice eggplants in half and score them deeply.
- Add to a large bowl (large enough so that the eggplants will be fully submerged).
- Add salt.
- Pour boiled water over the eggplants and place a plate over them to stop them floating.
Leave them for 15 minutes, then drain.
What’s in Miso Eggplant?
Apart from eggplant, Miso Eggplant is made of
- Miso glaze - white miso paste, rice wine vinegar, brown sugar, sesame oil, soy sauce.
- Vegetables - I’m using pak choi, but you can use any greens you like. Steam or pan fry them.
- Rice - rice of your choice.
- Toppings - mixed sesame seeds (white and black) and coriander leaves. You can also drizzle over a bit more sesame oil if you like it.
Top tip
Make sure the eggplant is fully submerged, so the salt can get into all areas of the eggplant.
Substitutions for Miso Eggplant
- Alternative proteins - This is vegetarian, but you could also use this cooking technique with chicken or fish. Skip soaking the protein, instead pan fry it and then drizzle the glaze and finish it under the grill.
- Vegetarian - This recipe is vegetarian.
- Dairy Free - This recipe is dairy free.
- Gluten Free - Swap soy sauce for tamari.
Kid-Friendly Variations
- Scoop eggplant flesh out from the eggplant after you’ve cooked it.
- Serve with rice and chopped greens.
Equipment to make Miso Eggplant
You will need a kettle, an oven grill (broiler), a baking tray, a large, heatproof bowl, a large frying pan, a stovetop.
More Eggplant Recipes
Recipe
Miso Eggplant - Nasu Dengaku
Equipment
- Kettle
- Oven grill (broiler)
- Baking tray
- Large, heatproof bowl
- Large frying pan
- Stovetop
Ingredients
- 1.5 L water
- 2 eggplant
- 1.5 L boiling water
- 2 tablespoon salt
- ¼ cup white miso paste
- 2 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil 2 tablespoon total for the recipe
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 bunch pak choi
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 450 g microwave rice
- ¼ bunch coriander
- 2 teaspoon sesame seeds mixed
- 2 teaspoon sesame oil (opt.) 2 tablespoon total for the recipe
Instructions
- Put a full kettle on to boil. Preheat grill function in your oven and line a grill tray with foil. Slice eggplant in half and score.1.5 L water, 2 eggplant
- Add salt to a large, heatproof bowl. Add 1 cup boiling water, dissolve, then place in eggplants. Fill water to cover, then use a plate to keep eggplants submerged for 15 mins.1.5 L boiling water, 2 tablespoon salt, 2 eggplant
- Mix together miso paste, rice wine vinegar, brown sugar, sesame oil and soy sauce.¼ cup white miso paste, 2 tablespoon rice wine vinegar, 1 tablespoon brown sugar, 1 tablespoon sesame oil, 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- Trim pak choi then rinse and pat dry.1 bunch pak choi
- Drain water from eggplant. Heat a large pan on high heat and add oil. Place eggplant cut side down and cook for 5 mins, then turn and cook for 2 mins.1 tablespoon vegetable oil, 2 eggplant
- Lay eggplant on grill tray, cut side up, and spoon over 2 tablespoon of miso sauce per half. Place under the grill for 4-6 mins, checking regularly.
- Add pak choi into the same pan you used for eggplant, and cook for 2-3 mins or until bright green. Meanwhile, microwave rice.1 bunch pak choi, 450 g microwave rice
- Serve eggplant with rice, pak choi, coriander leaves, sesame seeds and remaining sauce on the side. Option to drizzle over sesame oil.Serve kids plain rice, chopped greens and flesh from eggplant (scoop out of the skin).¼ bunch coriander, 2 teaspoon sesame seeds, 2 teaspoon sesame oil
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