These savoury and delicious roasted eggplants are glazed with an umami-rich miso sauce, perfect as a healthy side or a satisfying main.
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Serves 3
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: up to 30 minutes
Ingredients
3 medium Japanese eggplants
3 tablespoons white miso
1 tablespoons sesame oil
1 tablespoons maple syrup
1 tablespoons rice vinegar
To garnish
1 thick stalk of spring onion
2 teaspoons toasted white sesame seeds
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Preparation
- Remove the stem of the eggplants and cut the eggplants in half lengthwise which will create boat-like halves.
- Use a knife to score the inside of the eggplant in a crisscross pattern. This means making shallow cuts in one direction and then making another set perpendicular to the first, creating a diamond pattern. Make sure that the cuts are about 3mm deep and 3mm wide, without cutting through the skin.
- Brush the flesh of the eggplant with toasted sesame oil and place it on a baking tray lined with parchment paper with the flesh side down.
- Bake the eggplants at 220ºC for 15 minutes till they become tender.
- Meanwhile whisk together miso paste, maple syrup and rice vinegar in a bowl to prepare miso glaze. Chop the spring onions and keep them aside.
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- After 15 minutes the skin of the eggplants starts to shrink, and the eggplants become tender. Remove them from the oven, flip them over and brush them with the prepared miso glaze. Make sure to get the glaze into the scored lines.
- Place the eggplants on a parchment sheet lined baking tray, cut side up.
- Place the baking tray in the middle rack of the oven and broil for 3–5 minutes or until the glaze starts to bubble. Remove the eggplants from the oven.
- Garnish the eggplants with chopped spring onion and toasted sesame seeds.
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Tips
- You can substitute eggplant with other vegetables like zucchini and yellow squash due to their similar texture and ability to absorb flavours.
- You can serve miso eggplant with jasmine rice or soba noodles, sautéed Asian greens or Broccoli.
- Long, slender eggplants with fewer seeds are the best for making miso eggplant. Some examples include Japanese, Chinese and Italian varieties.
- If using globe eggplants, bake the eggplants for 20–25 minutes.
- If the oven does not have broiling settings, you can bake, roast or air fry to cook eggplant.
