This is a traditional Japanese nasu dengaku recipe you will fall in love with! Tender broiled eggplant slices brushed with a sweet miso glaze – it’s simply irresistible and ready in just 15 minutes!
Nasu Dengaku – Miso Glazed Eggplant Recipe
Everyone has certain ingredients that give them trouble in the kitchen.
Some people can’t cook rice without burning the bottom of a pot while others have issues peeling hard boiled eggs without taking half of the white out. One of my most hated ingredient is the eggplant; although it is one of my favorite vegetables when cooked properly, I can’t seem to get it right! I either overcook it until it’s mushy and half disintegrated or undercook it, possibly the worst way to serve it to someone who’s never tasted eggplant. Crunchy trauma.
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But here is a delicious eggplant dish I can ACTUALLY cook to perfection and that’s good news because the flavors are absolutely gorgeous! Nasu Dengaku is a classic Japanese side dish made with eggplant sliced in half, scored and brushed with a sweet and savory miso glaze. The translation literally means eggplant grilled over a fire, which is exactly how it’s done in Japan. My version is a little different – I pan fry the eggplants for a few minutes and finish them under a broiler until the miso glaze caramelizes and bubbles.
So.
So.
Good.
If you ask me why I am only able to cook eggplant really well this way, I think it’s because the eggplant is cooked on its own at first with just a little oil, before it’s broiled with a glaze. I tend to mess up eggplant when I incorporate it with other veggies and/or meats, and toss it with a sauce. Since carrots, potatoes and other veggies all have a different cooking time, my guess is I either put it in too early or too late.
But the way nasu dengaku is cooked makes it easy for me to attain the right texture, hurray! You can serve nasu dengaku with plain white rice or pair it up with other easy Japanese dishes like kimchi udon, spaghetti squash yakisoba style, baked chicken katsu or a bowl of healthy udon noodle soup.
Other yummy miso based recipes:
- Tofu dengaku
- Spicy miso tsukemen
- Bacon asparagus with honey miso glaze
- Sweet corn with creamy miso sauce
- Baked parmesan chicken rolls with miso sauce
Did you like this Nasu Dengaku Recipe? Are there changes you made that you would like to share? Share your tips and recommendations in the comments section below!
Serve nasu dengaku with a side of Japanese rice. Watch our video on How To Make Japanese Rice the stove top or rice cooker method!
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Nasu Dengaku – Miso Glazed Eggplant
A classic Japanese dish, nasu dengaku with miso glaze is both a sweet and savory.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 2 people
- Category: Appetizer, Side
- Method: Pan frying, broiling
- Cuisine: Japanese
Ingredients
- 2 small eggplant
- 2 tablespoons vegetable or canola oil
- 1/4 cup miso paste (I use awase miso which is a mix of both red and white miso paste)
- 2 tablespoons mirin
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon sake
- sesame seeds
Instructions
- Slice eggplant in half and using a knife, score the inside in small squares.
- In a pan over high heat, add oil and put the eggplant skin facing down.
- Cook for a few minute until skin is brown. Turn the eggplant over and cover with a lid. Cook until eggplant is cooked through (about 3 to 4 minutes).
- Meanwhile, in a bowl, mix miso, mirin, sugar and sake.
- Cover a cooking tray with foil and place the eggplant on top. Brush miso dengaku mix on top of each eggplant until all the surface is coated.
- Put in the oven and broil for 4 minutes. The miso mix should be bubbling when you take it out of the oven.
- Sprinkle sesame seeds on top and serve hot.
Notes
Nasu dengaku is best served immediately.
Keywords: recipe, vegan, plant based, vegetarian, gluten-free
Jane says
Made this tonight in preparation for a special dinner party coming up. Oh my gosh – so delicious! This recipe is a keeper – special enough for entertaining and easy enough for a week night dinner.
★★★★★
Caroline Phelps says
That’s wonderful Jane! It’s one of my favorites so I’m happy you enjoyed it! 🙂
Ritu says
I just made this but slightly modified. Didn’t have mirin so i used rice vinegar and instead of sake used cherry wine. It was super delicious though. Thank you¡ please post more vegan recipes! Its hard to find vegan asian recipes online and i loved your mapo tofu recipe and this one too!
Carole Fraser says
Hello there! I’ve been looking at, and downloading recipes from your blog feverishly this afternoon, as there are so many that sound delish…
You suggest ‘Awase’ miso paste, as it is a combination of red and white miso.
I have a tub of a medium golden coloured miso ( no specific name on it, just says ‘MISO’), and a tub of ‘ ‘Organic Red Miso’ in the fridge. Can I use a bit of those 2 mixed for the recipes you suggest the ‘Awase’miso for, or should I high tail it back to the store ?
Caroline Phelps says
Hi Carole, you can mix both, no need to get a new tub 🙂 You could even just use one or the other but I personally prefer the Awase kind.
Dani says
I found your recipe via a random Google search and made it last night. It’s SO GOOD! Thank you
Jojo Huxster says
I made this today for new year and it was fantastic. Thanks for the recipe!
Nickie says
I am planning to make this this weekend for a rice bowl dinner party (choose your own adventure kind of meal). Can I avoid buying sake and use white wine or something else in my cupboard? And can I get some time out of the way by cooking the eggplant on the stove, setting aside for a 1-3 hours, then finishing the recipe by putting it in the oven, probably for an extra few minutes?
Caroline Phelps says
Hi Nickie, you can use white wine but I would recommend sticking to sake if you can since it has such a distinct taste that’s so Japanese. For a time saver, cook the eggplant halfway through (only side), not all the way since they will get watery and loose their shape. This way you can shave off a few minutes of cooking time. Have a fun party!
nataly says
Thank you for recipe)
Laura Muirhead says
I love this!!! Make it almost weekly now. Thank you 🙂
★★★★★
Galina says
Silly question but still do you eat the skin? And in general, how do you eat this with a fork or with a spoon? I intend to try it tonight and hope family will like it. Thanks!
Caroline Phelps says
Hi Galina, yes you can eat the skin – it’s delicious! I eat it with chopsticks but any type of utensil is fine for this dish. I hope you like it! 🙂
Lisa says
I just made and ate this with a few entirely wrong ingredients! But, I loved it so much! I used the correct miso, then added a tablespoon of sesame oil and a tablespoon of shaoxing rice wine and a tablespoon of sushi vinegar, no sugar. It was absolutely delicious with rice and thin green beans. I didn’t have all the right things and couldn’t wait to make it! I will make it again and again, thank you so much.
★★★★★
Caroline Phelps says
Thank you Lisa! Do you remember the measurements you used for your recipe? I’d love to try it!
Lisa says
Aubergines fried like you did:
1 Tblspn Sesame Oil
1 Tblspn Shaoxing rice wine
2 Tblspns Sushi vinegar.
That’s the mixture to paint on, broil, sprinkle with seeds……. Swoon! Thanks again.
★★★★★
Adina says
Wow, this looks amazing! I can imagine how soft and sticky that is. I LOVE eggplants in any form, I could eat them at least once a week, unfortunately nobody in my family can understand this love:(
Still I am perseverent and try to ignore the negativity with the hope that if I offer them that often enough, someday they will get used to it and actually enjoy it. I sometimes think eggplants are like coffee or olives – an acquired taste: it might be weird at first, but once you get the taste, you will adore it.
Jasmin says
Making perfect eggplant dish can be tricky. My main problem is that sometimes it looses its perfect moisture, but I’m trying since I love this crazy vegetable, and I will definitely try nasu dengaku – I bet it tastes as good as it sounds like 🙂
Caroline Phelps says
Jasmin, I agree, making good eggplant can be very tricky! This is an easy, almost no fail way to make it so that it’s perfectly cooked! I even make eggplant parmesan that way 🙂
Vivian says
Wow! I was worried the eggplant wouldn’t get soft enough in so little time but it was perfect.
★★★★★
Caroline Phelps says
Vivian, the first time I made this I thought the same thing! But it’s a great way to quickly cook eggplant. I tried it with tomato sauce and parmesan cheese and it was also very yummy!
Despina says
I just tried this recipe for my and my mother! She’s not a huge fan of Asian cuisine in general but she really liked this. She found it a bit sweet (which might’ve been my fault for using more sugar than necessary) but I count it as a huge success nevertheless! Thank you for this recipe!
Caroline Phelps says
Hi Despina!
This recipe can be a little sweet for some people, I know what you mean and I also sometimes add less sugar than what the recipe calls for depending on how sweet I want my dinner to be that day. So glad to hear she liked it!
AnonymousChef says
I’ve made this several times and love it no question but I have one note to make: who measures miso in cups? Now since most of the readers here are began too one would assume that they would have a scale to message it in grams which is much much more convenient. Anyway that’s just what I think. 🙂 no hard feelings since I see this in many blogs
Cyra says
I agree.
Weighing ingredients is so much easier and doesn’t waste the ingredient in the measuring jug
Green Home Chef says
Just made it for dinner!! Fantastic!!! All polished off, even Nica who doesn’t usually like eggplant, loved it! I only wish that we had some leftover for tomorrow. Thank you so sharing such great Japanese recipe!!!
I learn so much from you!
★★★★★
Caroline Phelps says
Thank you Carmen! So happy to hear Nica loved it too, this means it’s also kid friendly 🙂
Lokness @ The Missing Lokness says
Nommm…. This looks delicious! Love the char on the eggplants! I have 3 eggplants at home now. This would be a great way to use them.
Caroline Phelps says
Hi Lokness, I hope you enjoy the recipe, it’s very easy and so delicious! I read on your blog you grew up in Hong Kong? I lived there for 3 years, love the city and the food! I miss eating curry at Chunking Mansion 🙂
Lokness @ The Missing Lokness says
Yes, I grew up in HK. It is so cool that you lived there for a while. I absolutely love the food in there and I miss it all the time. I have passed by Chunking Mansion many times, but never been in there. I really should!