Japanese Style Braised Eggplant Recipes

JAPANESE STYLE BRAISED EGGPLANT RECIPE

Steps:

• Prepare a bowl of water
• Cut the eggplant into long strips and make small cuts on the surface of the eggplant skin
• Put the eggplant into the bowl of water and let them soak for about 10 minutes
• Meanwhile, slice the green onions
• Grate a 4 cm cut length of a Chinese radish
• Add 200 ml of water into a mixing cup
• Add the dashi, mirin, soy sauce, and grated ginger into the same mixing cup
• Add 2 tbsp of sesame oil into a frying pan
• Wipe off the excess water from the surface of the eggplant and fry them on medium heat with the skin facing downward
• After the bottom is slightly browned, fry the other surfaces of the eggplant
• Add the sauce into the frying pan and cover
• Simmer for 5-10 minutes on low heat while covered
• Squeeze out the water from the grated Chinese radish
• Plate the eggplant and top with excess sauce, some grated Chinese radish and sliced green onions
• Enjoy!

GOCHUJANG-GLAZED EGGPLANT WITH FRIED SCALLIONS

Steps:

• Place the eggplant in a colander set inside a large bowl or the sink. Sprinkle with the salt, toss to combine and let sit for 30 minutes to remove excess moisture.
• Meanwhile, in a small bowl, add the gochujang, soy sauce, brown sugar, sesame oil and garlic. Whisk to combine, then set aside.
• To a large nonstick skillet, add the olive oil and the white parts of the scallions. Turn the heat to medium and fry the scallions, stirring often, until crispy and evenly browned, about 8 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the fried scallions onto a paper towel.
• Reserve a small handful of raw scallion greens for garnish, then fry the remaining scallion greens in the oil until crispy and lightly browned, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer fried scallion greens onto a paper towel.
• Remove the skillet from the heat and carefully pour the hot scallion oil into a glass container or measuring cup.
• After the 30 minutes of salting, dry the eggplant segments with a paper towel. Place the skillet over medium-high heat and add 2 tablespoons of the reserved scallion oil.
• When the oil starts to shimmer and you see a wisp of smoke, add half the eggplant, cut sides down, and fry until browned and starting to soften, 2 to 3 minutes. Flip once and cook another minute on the other side. Transfer to a plate, add 2 more tablespoons of scallion oil back to the pan, and repeat to fry the second batch of eggplants. (If you are lucky enough to have any scallion oil left, use it to fry eggs or to dress a salad.)
• Finally, sauce the eggplants: Add the first batch of eggplants back to the pan alongside the second batch. Reduce the heat to medium-low and pour the reserved gochujang sauce over the eggplants. Toss until evenly coated and the gochujang starts to caramelize, about 1 minute.
• Plate the eggplants on a large platter and garnish with the fried scallions and the reserved raw scallion greens. Serve immediately. (To store for later, transfer to a resealable container and keep in the refrigerator for 3 to 5 days. This dish tastes great cold, straight out of the fridge, or at room temperature.)