This miso-glazed eggplant is a delicious, easy-to-make dish which is boosting with so much flavor in every bite–sweet, sour, salty, smoky. Best part is that it can be done in under 30 minutes.
I’m not a big fan of eggplant ever since I was a kid. I mean, I don’t hate it but I just don’t love it either. I just remember it as this slimy veggie that my Mama cooks with beaten egg (‘tortang talong’ in Filipino) and it just didn’t sit well with my taste buds as a child.
So I never really experimented much on this veggie for years and it’s probably one food ingredient I can live without. But this year, I kind of made a personal vow to try as many new plant-based dishes as possible–including the ones I don’t really like to eat. And so I finally took on the eggplant challenge!
I researched different recipes, tested in my kitchen, and the moment I nailed this MISO-GLAZED EGGPLANT dish…my love relationship with eggplant has begun.
HOW TO COOK MISO-GLAZED EGGPLANT?
SCORE. Cut the egglants in half, then using a knife, make criss-cross patterns on the flesh of the eggplant. Then salt the flesh so it takes out some of its moisture.
SHALLOW-FRY. This is a key step so the eggplant starts to get a good char before roasting in the oven.
GLAZE. The best part of this dish! I used a mix of red miso paste (which you can buy in Asian stores), mirin – which is a Japanese cooking seasoning, apple cider vinegar (or you can also use sake, another Japanese cooking wine). Then sweetened it with coconut sugar.
ROAST. The last part is to roast the eggplants in the oven at 200 deg C until the miso glaze turns into this deep brown caramelized topping. Yum! I’m salivating just typing this.
The result? An aromatic, juicy, plantiful treat which is so satisfying that it makes you want to eat it almost everyday. I kind of did actually.
Ingredients
- 2 eggplants
- 1/4 cup miso paste (red or yellow)
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons mirin
- 1 tablespoon coconut sugar
- sesame seeds
- olive oil
- salt
Instructions
- Cut the eggplants in half. Then score the flesh in criss-cross pattern using a knife.
- Rub some salt on the flesh, making sure you rub it nicely so it gets into the grooves.
- Heat a pan with about a tablespoon of oil. Shallow-fry the eggpants with scored sides down. Cook for at least 4-5 minutes until it starts to char on the sides. Flip and cook for another minute or two.
- Pre-heat your oven at 200 degrees.
- Meanwhile, mix the miso paste, vinegar, mirin, and coconut sugar and whisk in a small bowl. Then once the eggplants are done, using a pastry brush, glaze the eggplant flesh with the miso marinade. Be generous in glazing the eggplants.
- Roast in the oven for about 20 minutes or until the miso glazed has caramelized and the eggplants are fully cooked, tender, and juicy.
- Serve with your favorite rice or a side salad. Enjoy!
For more 30-minute plant-based recipes, you can check out my CRISPY BAKED TOFU which is another family favorite.
And if you ever make this MISO-GLAZED EGGPLANT, be sure to tag me over at Instagram @fitfoodiemommy or use hashtag #fitfoodiemommy so I can give you a shoutout.
Happy weekend cooking!
xo,
Tara
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