This is my traditional Japanese nasu dengaku recipe. You will fall in love with it! Tender broiled eggplant slices brushed with a sweet and savory miso sauce – it’s simply irresistible and ready in just 15 minutes.
I used to have a lot of trouble cooking eggplant. No matter what I did to it, I never seemed to get it right! It either had a mushy texture or was undercooked, with that awful spongy crunch. It wasn’t until I started perusing Japanese cookbooks that I learned amazing, no fail, ways to cook eggplant.
Today, I’m excited to share with you the delicious Japanese eggplant dish that finally broke the curse and turned me into an eggplant expert! This nasu dengaku recipe was my first major success in cooking with eggplant, and boy is it a good one!
Table of contents
What is Nasu Dengaku?
Nasu Dengaku is a classic Japanese side dish made with eggplant sliced in half, scored and brushed with a sweet and savory miso sauce.
- 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 cook the eggplant halves for a few minutes in a skillet and finish them in a baking tray under a broiler, until the miso sauce caramelizes and bubbles.
The flavor is savory, smoky and sweet – with a toasted, nutty essence skirting around the edges. It’s SO good! Very similar in flavor to my tofu dengaku recipe.
Ingredients for Nasu Dengaku
- Eggplant: When I make this dish, I like to use eggplant that are on the small side. They tend to be less bitter than larger eggplant. Male eggplants also tend to have fewer seeds. A good way to check the sex of an eggplant is to look at the bottom. Slimmer eggplants with a round indentation mark at the bottom tend to be male. Rounder eggplants with an indentation that is elongated tend to be female.
- Vegetable Oil: Any neutral flavored cooking oil will work well for this recipe.
- Miso Paste: Miso paste is the key ingredient in this miso eggplant dish. Miso paste is a fermented food that is made from soybeans, salt, and koji (a type of fungus). It has a salty, savory flavor that is perfect for this dish. Additionally, miso paste is a good source of probiotics, which are beneficial for gut health. I like to use white miso paste (shiro miso) or awase miso, which is a mixture of red and white miso paste.
- Sugar: A little sugar adds a touch of sweetness without going over into cloying territory. And it also helps the sauce caramelize to perfection under the broiler.
- Mirin: This fermented rice wine rounds out the flavors in many Japanese dishes – and tempers some of the saltiness from the miso paste.
- Sake: Sake is another Japanese rice wine that is made from fermented rice. It has a dry, slightly bitter flavor that helps to balance out the sweetness of the mirin in this dish. Sake also contains amino acids, which can help add depth of flavor to the miso sauce.
- Sesame Seeds: Sprinkle a few white sesame seeds on your eggplant just before serving. You’ll love the toasted nuttiness!
Optional Toppings
Nasu dengaku is extremely flavorful on its own but can be topped with garnishes to add color and additional aromatics. Some of the most popular ones are:
- Chopped chives
- Shredded shiso leaves
- Fresh herbs such as basil or cilantro
How to Make Miso Glazed Japanese Eggplant
- Prepare the eggplant. Using a sharp knife, slice the eggplant in half, lengthwise. Then score the inside flesh of each half with a knife in a criss-cross pattern.
- Cook the eggplant. Get a pan going over over high heat and add your oil to coat the bottom of the pan. Place your eggplant halves in the pan with the outer skin side facing down. Cook for a few minutes until the skin begins to brown.
- Flip it! Next, flip the eggplant over and cook with a lid on the pan on for 3-4 minutes – until the eggplant is cooked through, and the inside flesh has browned.
- Make the miso glaze. Meanwhile, whisk your miso paste, sake, mirin and sugar together in a small bowl until you achieve a smooth consistency.
- Apply the sauce. Take your eggplant halves out of the pan – and place them on top of a foil lined baking sheet with the skin facing down. Brush each piece generously on top with the miso glaze.
- Broil the nasu dengaku. Place in the oven and broil for 4 minutes. The glaze on top should be bubbling.
- Serve. Top with sesame seeds and serve it immediately.
That’s it! So easy. The eggplant will be tender and cooked to perfection. And the flavor is out of this world!
Expert Tips on Cooking Eggplant
Halving and then scoring the inside of eggplant with a sharp knife will ensure that it cooks properly in the pan.
- The trick to scoring the eggplant is to cut the inside flesh in a criss-cross pattern – without cutting the outer skin. Watch the video in the recipe card at the bottom of the page if you’re a visual learner (like me!).
Also, when pan frying, it’s a good idea to cook long enough that the flesh gets a decent amount of color on it – but not so long that it turns to mush. Remember, the final step of cooking is under the intense heat of the broiler in your oven.
What To Serve With Nasu Dengaku
Nasu dengaku is usually served as a side dish. But it can also be enjoyed as a main course with a side of steamed Japanese rice. While I prefer eating it hot, this eggplant dish can be enjoyed hot or cold.
I love pairing it with full flavored dishes like these:
Or how about making a simple side salad and topping it with this iconic Japanese restaurant style carrot and ginger dressing? You really can’t go wrong!
And check out these other delicious and easy eggplant recipes:
- Chinese Eggplant With Garlic Sauce
- Steamed Korean Eggplant (Gaji Namul)
- Eggplant and Kabocha Miso Gratin
- Sauteed Eggplant With Spicy Miso Sauce
Frequently Asked Questions
Great question! The miso glaze can burn rather quickly. This is exacerbated by the sugar in the glaze. Since you’re using the broiler function in your oven, that super high heat can take things from browned to burned in no time. When I make this recipe, I keep a watchful eye – both through the oven window, and by opening the oven door to have a closer look. When the glaze is bubbling and browned, it’s good to go.
You can use dry sherry or a dry white wine, but I would use half a tablespoon instead of a full tablespoon like the recipe calls for.
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 my video on How To Make Japanese Rice the stove top or rice cooker method!
Print
Nasu Dengaku – Miso Glazed Eggplant
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 2 people 1x
- Category: Appetizer, Side
- Method: Pan frying, broiling
- Cuisine: Japanese
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
A classic Japanese dish, nasu dengaku with miso glaze is sweet and savory. Ready in just 15 minutes.
Ingredients
- 2 small eggplant
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil or other neutral 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
- Prepare the eggplant. Slice eggplant in half lengthwise, and score the inside in small squares (crosshatch) with a knife.
- Pan fry the eggplant. In a pan over high heat, add oil and place the eggplant outer skin facing down. Cook for a few minutes until the skin is brown.
- Flip and cover. Turn the eggplant over and cover with a lid. Cook until eggplant is cooked through (about 3 to 4 minutes).
- Prepare the miso glaze. Meanwhile, in a bowl, mix miso, mirin, sugar and sake. Whisk until mixed thoroughly.
- Glaze the eggplant. Cover a cooking tray with foil and place the eggplant on top (skin side down). Brush the miso dengaku glaze on top of each eggplant until all the surface is coated.
- Broil the eggplant. Put in the oven and broil for 4 minutes. The miso mix should be bubbling when you take it out of the oven.
- Garnish and serve. Sprinkle sesame seeds on top and serve hot.
Notes
Nasu dengaku is best served immediately.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 eggplant
- Calories: 288
- Sugar: 15.6g
- Sodium: 92mg
- Fat: 15.8g
- Saturated Fat: 2g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5.7g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 27.9g
- Fiber: 4.3g
- Protein: 4.9g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
When I put it in the oven to broil near the end, what temperature should I have the oven at?
Hi Sean, the broil setting usually has no temperature but a flame should come on in your oven. If yours does I’m not sure how high or low it should be, just keep an eye on the glaze and take it out when it’s caramelized and bubbly 🙂
This is so easy and quick to make. DELICIOUS! I didn’t have sake so just added a little water. My husband came home late so I had it all ready sauteed, coated with the miso paste and on a baking sheet, and when he arrived I popped it under the broiler. He loved it. Tonight I’ll try it again using the red wine we have, until we can get some sake. Thank you !
What type of sake / brand do you think is best for this recipe? I know so many sakes have different flavors.
Hi Jordyn, I use Morita cooking sake but Kikkoman would also work https://www.amazon.com/Kikkoman-Ryorishi-Cooking-Seasoning-33-8-Ounce/dp/B0046H3ABY Any type of cooking sake is good 🙂
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.
That’s wonderful Jane! It’s one of my favorites so I’m happy you enjoyed it! 🙂
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!
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 ?
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.
I found your recipe via a random Google search and made it last night. It’s SO GOOD! Thank you
I made this today for new year and it was fantastic. Thanks for the recipe!
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?
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!
This recipe is so easy to make and is delicious. I boiled down the marinade to make it a thicker glaze and it was delicious!
Thank you for recipe)
I love this!!! Make it almost weekly now. Thank you 🙂
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!
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! 🙂
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.
Thank you Lisa! Do you remember the measurements you used for your recipe? I’d love to try it!
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.
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.
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 🙂
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 🙂
Wow! I was worried the eggplant wouldn’t get soft enough in so little time but it was perfect.
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!
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!
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!
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
I agree.
Weighing ingredients is so much easier and doesn’t waste the ingredient in the measuring jug
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!
Thank you Carmen! So happy to hear Nica loved it too, this means it’s also kid friendly 🙂
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.
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 🙂
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!