NASU DENGAKU (Japanese miso glazed aubergine)

Nasu Dengaku is a creamy, dreamy slice of roasted eggplant from your best Japanese dreams. "Nasu" means aubergine or eggplant, while "Dengaku" refers to skewered food often coated with a sweet and savory miso glaze. 

Miso glazed eggplant holds a special place in Japanese culinary culture, tracing its origins back to the Edo period. During this time, dengaku was served as a snack during temple festivals, captivating locals with its irresistible combination of smoky, charred aubergine and a luscious, umami-rich miso glaze. It makes an impressive, easy-to-make vegan, gluten-free dinner with a balance of flavors, textures and elegant presentation.

Cooking Nasu Dengaku is not just about preparing a boring ol’ aubergine; it's about embracing a cultural tradition and celebrating the artistry of Japanese cuisine. It goes great with my tofu katsu, a side of yamagobo (crisp Japanese pickled burdock), or a salad drizzled with classic sesame goma dressing.

Unleash your creativity, explore new tastes, and experience the magic of Japanese cuisine. Let's dive in and cook together!

🥰Why you are going to adore the ever-loving heck outta this recipe

✊Vegan AF: No cute critters have to be harmed in making this (or any dinner). Every meal you make that doesn’t include animal-based ingredients is a matter of life and respect for animals. Go vegan!

🙅‍♀️🌾Gluten-Free: Since you hate gluten’s guts, you will be super-glad to know that this recipe hates gluten too. No problems with you having to see or even think about wheat in this recipe.

🍆Gorgeous Textures: The aubergine, perfectly grilled, and then roasted offers a crispy exterior that gives way to a creamy and melt-in-your-mouth interior. Adding some of this roasted eggplant to noodle dishes such as ketoprak, mie goreng, bami goreng, or Vietnamese soy sauce stir-fried noodles is like a dream come true. And if you are looking for a complementary protein to go with those, you can’t go wrong with tahu goreng. With every forkful, you'll experience a delightful balance of textures that will blow yer gosh durn mind!

✅Tested and Approved Worldwide: Like all the recipes on my blog, this Nasu Dengaku recipe has undergone extensive testing to ensure perfection in every aspect. Not only have I personally fine-tuned this recipe, but it has also been put to the test by a team of recipe testers across the globe. Regardless of your location or the brands of ingredients you use, rest assured that this recipe will work flawlessly in your kitchen.

🍆Notable ingredients and substitutions

Aubergine (Eggplant)

Aubergine, known as "nasu" in Japan, is a versatile vegetable with a rich, meaty texture. It is a low-calorie ingredient packed with dietary fiber, antioxidants, and vitamins. If small eggplants are not available, you can substitute them with medium-sized ones, adjusting the cooking time accordingly. You can make this recipe with graffiti eggplants, small black-skinned eggplants, Korean or Japanese eggplants, but don't use the tiny Thai eggplant, like you would use for making sayur lodeh.

Miso Paste

The white miso in this recipe, is a fermented soybean paste that originates from Japan. It adds depth, umami, and a touch of sweetness to the dish. Besides its incredible flavor, miso paste is a good source of protein, vitamins, and minerals. If white miso paste is not available, you can substitute it with taucu, Chinese fermented bean paste or red miso for a similar flavor profile. Some of these other fermented pastes are a bit saltier, so you may want to cut back on the tamari if you use them.

Maple Syrup

Maple syrup ain't just to pour all over your vegan pancakes! Here it adds a hint of caramel-like flavor and balances the acidity of the rice vinegar in this recipe. If you don't have maple syrup, you can substitute it with agave nectar or date syrup.

Toasted Sesame Oil

Toasted sesame oil imparts a distinctive nutty aroma and flavor to the eggplant. If you don't have toasted sesame oil, regular sesame oil, or even other cooking oils such as olive oil or canola oil can be used as a substitute.

📖 Making perfect miso glazed aubergine

Hold onto my hand. Together, dressed as eggplants with arms and legs in giant foam costumes, we will conquer the miso-glazed galaxy together! …or you can follow along with the easy-to-print recipe card towards the bottom of this page.

Step 1

Cut the eggplants in half lengthwise. Use a sharp knife to make diagonal cuts or a criss-cross pattern on the inside of the eggplant. The cuts should create 1 cm. squares or diamonds. Be mindful of the depth of the cuts, ensuring they are deep, while keeping the skin intact to prevent the eggplant from falling apart during cooking.

Step 2

Take one tablespoon of toasted sesame oil and brush it evenly on the flesh side of the eggplants.

Heat a large oven-safe skillet or pan over medium-high heat. Once the pan is hot, carefully place the eggplants flesh side down in the pan. Allow them to cook for 3-4 minutes until a lovely golden-brown sear develops. This initial searing will provide a delicious texture and enhance the overall flavor.

✅If you do not have an oven-safe skillet, you can transfer the stovetop-cooked eggplant to a parchment paper-lined baking sheet when it is time to roast.

Step 3

While the eggplants are cooking, using the tines of a fork or small whisk, combine the white miso paste, sesame oil, minced garlic, crushed red pepper flakes, grated ginger, tamari, rice vinegar, maple syrup, and water in a small bowl.

Step 4

Flip the eggplants over, so the flesh side is facing up. Spoon the miso glaze mixture evenly over the flesh side of the eggplants. Make sure to coat each piece generously, allowing the glaze to seep into the cuts.

Step 5

If your skillet or pan is oven safe, you can transfer it directly to the preheated oven. Bake the eggplants at 400°F (200°C) for approximately 15-20 minutes until they become tender, and the miso glaze caramelizes and starts bubbling. The aroma will be simply irresistible!

✅If you do not have an oven-safe skillet, you can transfer the stovetop-cooked eggplant to a parchment paper-lined baking sheet when it is time to roast.

Step 6

Once the eggplants are roasted, remove them from the oven and let them cool slightly.

Garnish the eggplants with toasted sesame seeds and thinly sliced scallions and serve alongside some Burmese curry noodles, or pad woon sen if you like!

🍽️Serving Ideas

When it comes to serving Nasu Dengaku, the possibilities are endless, as its versatile flavors can be complemented by a variety of satisfying vegetarian recipes.

A vegan Korean protein to serve with this is seitan bulgogi. The smoky, savory bulgogi made with homemade seitan perfectly complements the sweet miso glaze. Add a bowl of Indonesian pilau or kimchi fried rice, made with easy homemade kimchi for a burst of tangy and spicy flavors.

You can also serve it over Indonesian pandan-scented coconut rice, or over Turkish bulgur pilavi or tabbouleh. All of these are great options as they can easily be made in advance, and are also convenient for meal prep.

How ‘bout dessert?!? 

Treat yourself to the creamy and silky texture of banh flan, a Vietnamese-style caramel flan, or che ba mau, a colorful Vietnamese dessert with a variety of beans and coconut milk. Savor the indulgent flavors of martabak, a stuffed pancake with sweet fillings, or kuih ketayap, a Malaysian pandan crepe filled with coconut and palm sugar. These desserts will provide the perfect meal balance to the savory and umami-rich Nasu Dengaku.

🤷‍♀️FAQ

✌️My favey dishes to serve with this heavenly creamy eggplant:

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NASU DENGAKU (Japanese miso glazed aubergine)

Put on your big-boy (egg)pants. Particularly if you wear (Auber)jeans. You miso well try this delicious dish!

5 from 5 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Sides

Cuisine: Japanese

Keyword: miso-glazed aubergine

Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 35 minutes minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes minutes

Servings: 6 servings

Calories: 153kcal

Author: Adam Sobel

Cost: $6.50

Equipment

• parchment paper
• baking pan
• large cast iron skillet
• cutting board

Ingredients

• 3 small eggplants
• 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
• 3 tablespoons white miso paste
• 4 teaspoons sesame oil
• 1 clove garlic minced
• ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• ½ teaspoon grated ginger
• 1 tablespoon tamari
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
• 3 tablespoons maple syrup
• 2 tablespoons water

Garnish:

• 2 teaspoons toasted sesame seeds
• 1 scallion thinly sliced

Instructions

• Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C).
• Cut the eggplants in half lengthwise. Use a sharp knife to make diagonal cuts or a criss-cross pattern, scoring the inside of the aubergine. This should create a pattern of 1 cm. Squares or diamonds. Ensure the cuts are deep, while leaving the skin intact so the eggplant doesn’t fall apart.
• Brush the flesh side of the eggplants with one tablespoon of toasted sesame oil.
• Heat a large oven-safe skillet or pan over medium-high heat. Place the eggplants flesh side down in the pan and cook for 3-4 minutes until they develop a golden-brown sear.
• While the eggplant is cooking, in a small bowl, combine the white miso paste, sesame oil, minced garlic, crushed red pepper flakes, grated ginger, tamari, rice vinegar, maple syrup, and water. Mix well until the ingredients are thoroughly combined.
• Flip the eggplants over and spoon the miso mixture evenly over the flesh side.
• If your skillet or pan is oven safe, transfer it to the preheated oven and bake for 15-20 minutes until the eggplants are tender and the miso glaze is caramelized and bubbling. If your pan is not oven safe, carefully transfer the eggplant to a parchment paper-lined baking pan before roasting.
• Remove the eggplants from the oven and let them cool slightly.
• Garnish the miso-glazed aubergines with toasted sesame seeds and thinly sliced spring onions before serving.

Notes

1. Choose the Right Eggplants: Opt for small to medium-sized eggplants that are firm and shiny. These tend to have fewer seeds and a more tender texture, which works well for this recipe.
2. Even Cuts: When scoring the eggplant, aim for uniform cuts to ensure even cooking and flavor absorption. Diagonal cuts or a criss-cross pattern about 1 cm deep are perfect.
3. Mindful Baking Time: Keep an eye on the eggplants while baking. Aim for tender, caramelized results, but avoid overcooking, which could result in mushiness, or burnt glaze.

Nutrition

Calories: 153kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 491mg | Potassium: 582mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 15g | Vitamin A: 80IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 46mg | Iron: 1mg