Nasu Dengaku | Japanese Eggplant

Harajuku Gyoza and Nasu Dengaku Recipe

A week ago I was invited to Harajuku Gyoza in Potts Point to try their vegan dishes. It was quite a pleasant surprise, as I visited them only a month ago for a quick lunch, and I thought to myself, ‘this restaurant is actually vegan friendly’. And indeed it is, and very much so. I went with my vegan friend, Jo, and we both had a great time tasting all their vegan dishes, from dumplings, to tacos, and finally a lovely dessert, for which we had no idea what it was made made of, but which looked and tasted delicious.

My lovely friend Jo

 

Japanese Plum Wine – delish!

Vegetable Gyoza. Great with some vinegar and chilli oil.

Open Tofu Taco, Tempura Eggplant, and Agedashi Tofu (veganised) – triple yum!

Raindrop Cake – delicate melt in your mouth jelly served with peanut powder and I’m not sure about the rest! Tastes good though :)

 

It’s not every day that I can eat more than just salad and vegetable tempura at a Japanese restaurant, and so I was very cheerful (the plum wine and sake might have contributed to the elevated mood as well).

What a spread! All vegan :)

I got home feeling motivated to create a Japanese-inspired video recipe. Nasu Dengaku, or miso glazed eggplant, is one of my favourite Japanese dishes to make at home because it’s so simple, healthy and most importantly tasty. It’s also especially useful for this time of the year when the weather is getting colder and I’m craving things that are more comforting. And this dish is just that, comforting, especially when eaten with a steaming bowl of rice… heaven-sent.

Here’s the video and the recipe. I posted it on Instagram a few days ago and a few people have tried the recipe and told me how delicious it is. If you don’t have sake, you can omit it, the recipe will still taste good.

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rUT1_jifq4Y[/embedyt]

Harajuku Gyoza and Nasu Dengaku Recipe

Simple, delicious, and comforting. Recipe adapted from fatfreevegan.com

  • 1 large eggplant or 2 small ones
  • 2 tablespoons mirin
  • 1 tablespoons sake
  • 2 tablespoons shiro miso
  • 1 tablespoons sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
  • Toasted sesame seeds (for garnish)
  1. Cut eggplants lengthwise and score.
  2. Mix all the sauce ingredients.
  3. Brush the cut sides of the eggplants with the sauce and cook for 20 mins at 180C (or about 10 mins for smaller eggplants)
  4. Garnish with sesame seeds and serve with boiled rice.

If you make this, I’d love to hear from you. Leave a comment below and let me know what you think. You can also follow me on Instagram and share your creation with me. Just tag me @passionatelykeren so I won’t miss your post.

Cheers,

Keren x

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  1. […] was inspired to share this recipe after a recent visit to a lovely Japanese restaurant. They served it cold and it was delish!  I personally like my veggies warm (especially in winter) […]

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