Miso-Glazed Eggplant (Nasu Dengaku)

Ingredients

• 2 Eggplant, halved lengthwise, flesh scored in a diamond
• 1 tbsp Toasted sesame oil
• 3 tbsp White miso paste
• 2 tbsp Mirin
• 1 tsp Brown sugar
• 1 tsp Rice vinegar (unseasoned)
• 1 tbsp Sesame seeds, toasted
• 2 Scallions (green onions), sliced thin

Method

1. Heat the oven to 425°F. Brush the cut faces with sesame oil and roast cut side down 20 minutes, until the flesh is completely soft and the skin has slumped.
2. Whisk the miso, mirin, sugar and vinegar into a spreadable glaze.
3. Turn the halves over, spread the glaze thickly across the scored flesh, and broil 3-4 minutes until it bubbles and takes on dark spots. Watch it — miso goes from caramelized to burnt in under a minute.
4. Scatter sesame seeds and scallions and serve hot, eaten out of the skin with a spoon.

Notes

✨ The restaurant touch

Scoring the flesh in a diamond does two things: it lets the eggplant collapse evenly, and it gives the glaze somewhere to pool.

🧒 For the kids

Serve the glaze on the side as a dip and give them plain roasted eggplant strips — the texture is usually the objection, not the flavor.

🌿 From the garden

Two eggplant plants will produce more than a household can eat from August on. This is the recipe that keeps that from being a problem.

🥡 Leftovers

Good cold the next day, straight from the fridge.

Per serving

Computed from USDA FoodData Central values. A planning tool, not medical advice.