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Stuffed Miso Eggplant (Nikumiso Dengaku)

With creamy cups of eggplant stuffed with a savory-sweet meat and miso sauce, this mashup of Nasu Dengaku (Miso Eggplant) and Niku Miso (Meat & Miso) turns these two popular Japanese appetizers into a hearty entree.

Prep Time
5 mins
Cook Time
5 mins
Total Time
20 mins
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 256 kcal
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Japanese

Ingredients

For Dengaku Sauce
  • 2 tablespoons evaporated cane sugar
  • 3 tablespoons sake
  • 2 tablespoons hatcho miso (black miso)
For eggplant
  • 2 small eggplants (Globe or Italian)
  • vegetable oil (for frying)
For Nikumiso
  • 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
  • 12 grams ginger (finely minced)
  • 200 grams ground pork
  • 1 scallion (finely chopped)

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Make the dengaku sauce by whisking together the sugar, sake, and hatcho miso.
  2. Preheat about 3-inches of oil to 350 F (175 C) in a heavy-bottomed pot.
  3. Trim the stem end of the eggplants off.
  4. Use a peeler to peel alternating strips of skin off of the eggplant to create a striped pattern.
  5. Slice the bottom off of the eggplants, and then cut them in half. The eggplants should stand up relatively straight. If they don't, keep trimming them until they sit flat.
  6. Use a small spoon to carve the center out of the wide end of each piece of eggplant. Be sure to leave a ½-inch border around the sides, as well as at the bottom.
  7. Use a small spoon to carve out the center of each eggplant to make cups, but leave about 2cm of flesh on the sides and bottom.
  8. Deep fry the eggplant, giving each one a few full turns in the oil to set the color of the skin before adding the next one. They'll tend to float, so continue turning them, so they cook through evenly.
  9. When the eggplant can be easily pierced with a skewer, transfer them to a paper towel-lined rack with the carved side facing down to drain.
  10. To make the nikumiso, saute the ginger with a teaspoon of vegetable oil until it's fragrant.
  11. Add the ground pork and use a spatula to crumble it up until it is mostly cooked through.
  12. If you have a lot of oil pooling in your pan, use some dry paper towels to soak up the extra grease.
  13. Add the dengaku sauce and stir-fry until there is very little liquid remaining, and it no longer smells like alcohol.
  14. Stuff the fried eggplant with the nikumiso and garnish with chopped scallions.

Nutrition Information

Calories 256kcal (13%) Carbohydrates 23g (8%) Protein 12g (24%) Fat 13g (20%) Saturated Fat 5g (25%) Cholesterol 36mg (12%) Sodium 351mg (15%) Potassium 698mg (20%) Fiber 7g (28%) Sugar 15g (30%) Vitamin A 83IU (2%) Vitamin C 6mg (7%) Calcium 32mg (3%) Iron 1mg (6%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 4servings

Amount Per Serving

Calories 256

% Daily Value*

Calories 256kcal 13%
Carbohydrates 23g 8%
Protein 12g 24%
Fat 13g 20%
Saturated Fat 5g 25%
Cholesterol 36mg 12%
Sodium 351mg 15%
Potassium 698mg 15%
Fiber 7g 28%
Sugar 15g 30%
Vitamin A 83IU 2%
Vitamin C 6mg 7%
Calcium 32mg 3%
Iron 1mg 6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.