recipes/Vegetarian Recipes

Oven-Roasted Eggplant with Caramelized Miso Recipe

Posted May 19, 2014 by Stephanie
miso caramelized eggplant recipe - www.iamafoodblog.com

miso caramelized eggplant recipe - www.iamafoodblog.com

This recipe is brought to you from Easy Gourmet, my first ever cookbook! You can preorder it here: AmazonBarnes and NobleBooks-A-Million and Indie Bound.

I am a huge eggplant fan, but it wasn’t always so. As a super picky kid who would only eat soy sauce and rice, eggplant seemed like it was the worst vegetable ever. I totally didn’t get why my mom and dad would always order eggplant when we went out for dinner. The couple of times my mom forced me to eat it, it tasted…slimy and kind of weird. It was definitely nothing to get excited about.

miso caramelized eggplant recipe - www.iamafoodblog.com

I’m not sure when I started to like eggplant, but now it’s one of my favourite vegetables. I LOVE it’s texture which is funny because as a kid, it was exactly what I hated about it. If you cook it right, eggplant has a dreamy, creamy texture that I can’t get enough of. If you’re not such a huge fan of eggplant, you should give this recipe a try. Even as a hardcore eggplant fan, the first time I tasted nasu dengaku, or miso broiled eggplant, was a revelation.

miso caramelized eggplant recipe - www.iamafoodblog.com

It was at a neighbourhood sushi joint – one that has quite a reputation. Everyone in line (yes, there’s a line, nightly) told me to try the eggplant. When it came to our table, I wasn’t convinced. It was extra brown and not particularly exciting looking. But after the first bite I was hooked – I had to recreate it at home. It’s super simple: bake up an eggplant, cover it with a miso, mirin, sake mixture, broil it and then it’s hello deliciousness! Baking eggplant softens and sweetens it into a delicious melty mess with the best texture. Add in a bit of caramelization and you’ve got a dish reminiscent of creme brûlée, only with a sweet and salty miso crust and a creamy eggplant custard.

miso caramelized eggplant recipe - www.iamafoodblog.com

i am miso-ed, i am caramelized: i am nasu dengaku!

Oven-Roasted Eggplant with Caramelized Miso Recipe
serves 2-4

  • 1 tablespoon mirin
  • 1 tablespoon sake
  • 2 tablespoons shiro miso
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 2 Japanese eggplants, cut in half lengthwise
  • 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
  • toasted sesame seeds
  • sliced green onions

Preheat the oven to 425°F.

Place the mirin and sake in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat for 2 minutes. Add the miso and stir until smooth. Stir in the sugar, and reduce to low. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, while you broil the eggplants.

Brush the cut sides of the eggplants with the sesame oil. Put the eggplants cut-side down on a baking sheet and place in the oven and roast for 15-20 minutes, depending on eggplant size, until they just start to shrivel. The flesh should be fork tender. Remove from the oven and turn them over.

Top the eggplants with all of the miso sauce and put them under the broiler until the sauce bubbles up and starts to caramelize, 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat, rest for 5 minutes and enjoy with sesame seeds and green onions!

Note: I used big eggplants here because that’s all I could find from the store. They taste just as good, but add a couple of minutes while baking. Usually when eating these, we just scoop out the flesh and leave the skin behind, but if you like eggplant skin, feel free to eat it, of course!

miso caramelized eggplant recipe - www.iamafoodblog.com

If you like this recipe, buy my book! It’s available at: AmazonBarnes and NobleBooks-A-Million and Indie Bound.

61 Comments

  1. Oh my gosh that looks amazing. I love eggplant, especially the fresh stuff from the local farm…but roasted with all those spices and that miso sauce? Mmmm, I can taste it now. :)

    1. steph says:

      Roasted eggplant is the way to go!

  2. Sarah says:

    These look so wonderful! I love eating eggplant, but have never been very good at cooking it. Looking forward to trying these out!

    1. steph says:

      Hope you get a chance to try these Sarah!

  3. Tammi says:

    Oh Lordy! I love eggplant and fell in love with miso after trying it for the first time this weekend. I can already imagine the taste of both of them combined!

    1. steph says:

      Miso + eggplant = WIN!

  4. cynthia says:

    Oh my god, I’ve been dying to try this since I saw a sneak peek of it on your other post! And it’s so gorgeously simple — I’m beyond impressed and amazed. To top of it off, this may have been one of the best pieces of drool-inducing food writing I’ve read in awhile. You rock. Can’t wait to try this, Steph <3

    1. steph says:

      Thanks Cynthia!! You’re too sweet! :D

  5. I have been craving eggplant lately. Now, after seeing this recipe, I HAVE to buy some and try this!

    1. steph says:

      Eggplants are definitely craving inducing veggies :)

  6. The texture was exactly why I hated it as a kid, teenager, and young adult. I finally had it in a curry, but it was pureed and has this deliciously smooth texture that I never would have guessed was eggplant. It’s not my favourite veggie now, but I do like to cook with it once it a while.

    1. steph says:

      When it’s super smooth, it’s delicious. I know some people have issues with the seeds. If you buy smaller eggplants, they don’t have as many seeds so they’re even smoother!

  7. Eileen says:

    Oh man, this eggplant looks SO GOOD! I say this as someone who loves eggplant very much and who has definitely gone too long without cooking any. Must go get some ASAP!

    1. steph says:

      Thanks so much Eileen! xoxo

  8. Eggplant is like, my favorite thing ever. I love your note about how, at the right texture, it can be creamy and almost reminiscent of creme brulee. People always look at me like I’m crazy when I say that. Anyway… will you move to Portland and make this for me every night? We’ll be best friends forEVA.

    1. steph says:

      When…(if) I move to Portland it will be next door to you and I will eat ALL your baked goods and you can come over for eggplant anytime! :D

  9. These look so delicious! I just love eggplant, especially when it’s soft and creamy inside. I can’t wait to try this recipe- I wonder how it would work on the grill?

    1. steph says:

      You could definitely do the roasting on the grill, but the caramelization might be a bit tricky as you need the heat source above the miso sauce. Or, you could roast on the grill and if you have a torch, just torch it at the end :)

  10. This is total eggplant heaven. Love the recipe!

    1. steph says:

      I wanna go to eggplant heaven! Thanks Katrina! xoxo

  11. Leah Davis says:

    This looks awesome!! I love eggplant and I’ve been wanting to experiment more with miso. Love that char/caramelization on top!!

    1. steph says:

      Mmm…the caramelization is the BEST part! :D

  12. molly yeh says:

    ooooh!!! eggplant creme brûlée i like the sound of that :)

    1. steph says:

      Gosh, I should come up with more creme bruleed veggies….

  13. Libby says:

    That is the sexiest eggplant that has ever existed.

    1. steph says:

      Aww, this is the best comment! :D

      xoxo

  14. Sophie says:

    I don’t think my family served eggplant much or ever when I was growing up, but I certainly love it now! You described this so temptingly, I can’t wait to make it myself! That crackly-caramelized top looks amaaaaazeballs

    1. steph says:

      Thanks Sophie!! Hope you have a chance to make it! xoxo

  15. How fabulous that the first time I check out your blog that it’s for eggplant. I adore eggplant. I can’t remember if I liked it as a kid or not. Oh yeah I did. How could I forgot. Oh that’s right, I’m old. Lol. Mom did the traditional procedure of dipping it in flour, egg and crumbs and frying it. It was one of my favorite dishes. This is a wonderful recipe. I am pinning it. I don’t want to lose track of it.

    1. steph says:

      Mmm…I LOVE eggplant that has been coated in breadcrumbs and fried!

  16. amanda says:

    Yessss. I love miso glazed eggplant and luckily I have all this stuff in my pantry. Except the produce. I know what I’m making tomorrow night for dinner!!

    1. steph says:

      I hope you had a chance to go out and get an eggplant Amanda! :)

  17. Nadia says:

    Great recipe, thanks!

    1. steph says:

      Thanks Nadia!

  18. Lovely. Great eggplan recipe. I’ve been doing mutabal recipe lately. Now that i’ve come acros this one, I will put it in my repertoar of eggplant recipes. Thank you!

  19. There’s a lot of eggplant in Indian cooking so I’ve always loved it – this looks amazing!

  20. Julia says:

    Who knew you could caramelize miso? This looks amazing!

  21. foodarts56 says:

    Steph, I am new to your blog but will be a regular from here on out. Beautiful images and layout..kuddos on the Saveur blog award. Just made your miso eggplant with some new harvest rice and it was a perfect meal. A scatter of black sesame seeds too.

    1. steph says:

      thank you so much!! a big YES to the rice and black sesame seeds..sounds amazing :)

  22. Erika says:

    YEAH EGGPLANT!!!!! I was the EXACT same–HATED eggplant as a kid (was on my do-not-touch list along with mayo and mushrooms) and now I love it. You don’t get that creamy texture in just any vegetable! I even converted my boyfriend to loving it with a clay pot version I ordered at some vegetarian Chinese restaurant in SF (so good!).

    Ever since seeing miso-glazed eggplant on Love and Lemons, I’ve been dying to combine the two! But hello describing it as eggplant CREME BRULEE is so genius, I must try your version. I’ll let you know how it goes ;)

    1. steph says:

      gasp! please tell me you love mushrooms now!?!? mayo i can take it or leave it, but mushrooms make my heart pitter patter!

      and yes – claypot eggplant is da BOMB!

  23. mycookinghut says:

    Looks absolutely yummy! Definitely will give this recipe a go!

  24. Nadyah says:

    Where I come from there are no alcoholic drinks. What can I replace the mirin ans sake with?

    1. steph says:

      you could try vinegar with a bit more sugar added – hope that helps!

  25. Anwella says:

    Have just cooked them and are delicious! Great recipe! Thanks for sharing it!

  26. Maggie says:

    I just cooked this dish for lunch today and it was so good! It’s amazing that how delicious the miso paste turned out, after blending in sake and sugar. I used very huge eggplant this time, so I sliced them to several pieces and they turned out great. Next time, I will try to get organic small eggplant and try them on the grill. I think the grill will give this one a great smokey flavor. Thanks so much for sharing this wonderful recipe :)

  27. Wendy says:

    I live in Vancouver, and I LOVE Toshi’s eggplant dish. Thanks for posting something that might get me close!

  28. Sara says:

    Cooked this today so delicious. Made my mouth so happy!

  29. Jay says:

    What’s with it with all the folks commenting BEFORE they’ve tried the recipe? Don’t most of the readers want to know how the recipe worked as opposed to personal thoughts on how it looks? Maybe it’s just I who feels so?

  30. laura says:

    So delicious (I’m eating this right now)! What would you pair it with to make a complete meal? I’m always struggling to fill up my carnivorous boyfriend with vegan/veg meals.

    1. Stephanie Le says:

      i would absolutely just eat it with a bowl of rice! but if you want a meat that goes with, you can do the same sauce with chicken – just grilled your chicken first, the brush the sauce on and bake it. or i suspect these guys would go nicely: http://iamafoodblog.com/easy-oven-baked-sesame-chicken-thighs/

      hope that helps!

  31. Mikey says:

    I tried it, and it was delicious. I had to substitute dry vermouth for the sake, (drank all the sake), but still delicious!

    1. Gerry Ahrens says:

      Thx! Better idea. I was thinking of using a little gin! Still might ;~)

      1. Gerry Ahrnes says:

        Tried Dry Vermouth the first time, Sweet is mo betta.
        Wing it!

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