4.8 from 92 votes
Nasu Dengaku ナス田楽
Nasu Dengaku is a Japanese grilled eggplant dish glazed with a sweet, savory miso sauce made from miso paste, sugar, mirin, sake, and dashi powder. The eggplant is briefly soaked to reduce bitterness, cooked gently, and then coated with a shiny miso glaze before being finished under the grill. It’s garnished with grated ginger, sesame seeds, and chopped shiso leaves for fresh, aromatic accents.
Prep Time
5 mins
Cook Time
15 mins
Total Time
20 mins
Servings:
2
serves
Calories:
219 kcal
Course:
Side Dish
Cuisine:
Japanese
Ingredients
Miso glaze
- 1.5 tbs miso paste
- 1.5 tbs sugar
- 1/2 tbs mirin
- 1/2 tbs sake
- 1/2 tsp dashi powder *4
- 1 tbs olive oil
- 1 eggplant
- 1 tbsp ginger to garnish, grated
- 1 tbsp sesame seeds to garnish
- 1 tbsp shiso leaves to garnish, chopped
Instructions
Sweet miso paste for glazing *1
- Put all the miso glaze ingredients in a small sauce pan and simmer for a couple minutes over low heat until the sugar has dissolved and the glaze become shiney.
- Remove from heat and set aside.
Cup of Yum
Prepare eggplant
- Cut the eggplant in half lengthwise.
- Score around the eggplant and diagonally.
- Soak the eggplant in water in a large bowl for about 5 minutes to take off the bitter taste.
- Take the eggplant out of the water and wipe off the excess water with a paper towel.
- Gently wrap the eggplant with cling wrap microwave for 5 min.
Grill and glaze
- Start to preheat the oven on grill setting *2
- Put the olive oil in a frying pan and cook the eggplant until the cut side becomes brown about 5 minutes and turn the heat off. *3
- Glaze the eggplant surface with about 1 tbs of miso mixture each.
- Put the frying pan in the preheated oven and grill for 3-5 minutes.
- Serve it on a plate and top with grated ginger, garnish with shiso and sprinkle sesame seeds over.
Notes
- Prepare the miso glaze while the eggplant is soaking to save time.
- Use a grill (broiler) setting at approximately 200°C for finishing the glazed eggplant.
- Microwaving softens the eggplant quickly before browning in an iron skillet.
- For a vegan version, substitute dashi powder with mushroom dashi or shiitake mushroom powder.
Nutrition Information
Calories
219kcal
(11%)
Carbohydrates
29g
(10%)
Protein
4g
(8%)
Fat
10g
(15%)
Saturated Fat
1g
(5%)
Cholesterol
0mg
(0%)
Sodium
517mg
(22%)
Potassium
572mg
(12%)
Fiber
8g
(32%)
Sugar
18g
(36%)
Vitamin A
55IU
(1%)
Vitamin C
5mg
(6%)
Calcium
72mg
(7%)
Iron
1.5mg
(8%)
Nutrition Facts
Serving: 2 serves
Amount Per Serving
Calories 219
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 219kcal | 11% |
| Carbohydrates | 29g | 10% |
| Protein | 4g | 8% |
| Fat | 10g | 15% |
| Saturated Fat | 1g | 5% |
| Cholesterol | 0mg | 0% |
| Sodium | 517mg | 22% |
| Potassium | 572mg | 12% |
| Fiber | 8g | 32% |
| Sugar | 18g | 36% |
| Vitamin A | 55IU | 1% |
| Vitamin C | 5mg | 6% |
| Calcium | 72mg | 7% |
| Iron | 1.5mg | 8% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.