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Spicy and Delicious Stir Fried Japanese Eggplant With Miso!

Jul 5, 2020Last Modified: August 12, 2021

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This page may contain affiliate links. I receive a small commission at no cost to you when you make a purchase using my link. This post is about Spicy and Delicious Stir Fried Japanese Eggplant With Miso!

Stir Fried Japanese Eggplant With Miso in a gold rimmed bowl garnished with green onions and chopsticks on the side

What is Japanese Eggplant?

If you have never tried Japanese eggplant before you are in for a treat!

Japanese eggplant is called "nasu" in Japan. This eggplant is quite different from our American eggplant. The nasu is slender, smaller, and not as bitter as our American eggplant.

The skin of this eggplant is thin, and the flavor is sweet. Additionally it also has way fewer seeds than our American version and is a member of the Nightshade family, which also includes potatoes and tomatoes.

This versatile eggplant is great roasted, broiled, steamed, stir fried, and grilled! It pairs especially well with miso in a stir fry so please read on to learn how to make Spicy and Delicious Stir Fried Japanese Eggplant With Miso!

What Ingredients Will I Need To Make This Dish?

Here are some brilliantly colored Japanese eggplants which I purchased from my local Asian market. The color is stunning don't you think? 😍

3 purple Japanese eggplant

It goes without saying that you will need to have some Japanese eggplant for this dish. The other ingredients are:

  • Red miso (you can sub white miso if you prefer; red miso is a bit saltier than white miso)
  • Sake (can sub Shaoxing rice wine if you don't have sake)
  • Thai chilies (I like these for extra spice! Please feel free to omit or reduce the number of chilies called for if you prefer milder foods)
  • Garlic
  • Vegetable oil
  • Sesame oil
  • Sugar
  • Green onions (for garnish)
Japanese eggplant, Red miso paste in its package, thai chilies, minced garlic, and miso paste in a clear glass bowl

The Method To Make Stir Fried Nasu With Miso!

It's really simple to make this dish!

You'll begin by slicing the eggplant into bite sized pieces. I like to kind of roughly chop them at an angle as seen below.

Cut up pieces of Japanese eggplant

Next soak them in some water for around 10 minutes to help remove some of the bitterness of the eggplant. Drain and dry after soaking.

Make a paste with 2 tablespoon of miso and 1 tablespoon of sake. Stir well and set aside.

After draining and drying the nasu, heat 3 tablespoon of vegetable oil in a skillet (cast iron preferably) or wok on medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the minced garlic and chilis. Stir frequently for around 1 minute or so. Add sliced Japanese eggplant, and continue to cook until your eggplant is tender and nicely browned. You will want to stir a bit, but also leave the eggplant undisturbed from time to time to allow it to brown. It took me about 20 minutes to get the eggplant tender with a nice color.

cut up pieces of Japanese eggplant being browned and cooked in a cast iron pan

When your eggplant is ready, add the miso and sake paste, and stir until incorporated. The finishing touches are a few splashes of sesame oil, and a pinch of sugar or more to taste!

Now you are ready to enjoy this delicious stir fried Japanese eggplant! Sliced green onions make the perfect garnish. 😃

This makes a great vegetable side dish to accompany any meal, especially when eaten with your favorite pair of chopsticks!

Stir Fried Japanese Eggplant With Miso in a gold rimmed bowl garnished with green onions and chopsticks on the side

Some Other Recipes You May Enjoy

Okinawan Carrots

Okinawan Carrots in a white bowl and some chopsticks

Japanese Pickled Cucumber

Japanese Pickled Cucumber and chopsticks holding one up

If you'd like to come along with me on a fun food journey, please sign up to get the latest recipes and inspiration for you to expand your food comfort zone! It's an incredible journey, please join me by signing up here. 🙂

Cheers!

Grace

Stir Fried Japanese Eggplant With Miso with chopsticks

Stir Fried Japanese Eggplant With Miso

Grace
Japanese Eggplant is absolutely delicious stir fried with miso! This is a terrific side dish that packs maximum flavor and is spicy with the addition of Thai chilies. You'll love it!
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 5 mins
Cook Time 20 mins
Total Time 25 mins
Course Side Dish
Cuisine Japanese
Servings 4 servings (as a side dish)

Equipment

  • Skillet (Cast iron skillet or wok is preferred)

Ingredients
  

  • 2 large Japanese eggplant about 1 pound; roughly chopped at angles into bite sized pieces
  • 3 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 2 tablespoon red miso paste
  • 1 tablespoon sake can sub Shaoxing Rice Wine
  • 2 ts garlic minced
  • 3-4 Thai chilis adjust to your taste or omit completely for a milder dish - please note using 3 or 4 of these does make this dish spicy!
  • sugar pinch of or to taste
  • sesame oil a few drops splashed on at the end
  • green onions sliced, for garnish

Instructions
 

  • Slice the Japanese eggplant at an angle and kind of roughly into bite sized pieces.
    Cut up pieces of Japanese eggplant
  • Soak the eggplant in water for about 10 minutes. Then drain and dry with paper towels.
    cut up pieces of Japanese eggplant in water in a white bowl
  • Make a paste with 2 tablespoon of miso and 1 tablespoon of sake (or Shaoxing Rice Wine). Stir well and set aside for later use.
    sake and miso paste in a spoon
  • Heat up vegetable oil in a skillet on medium. When the oil is hot, add the minced garlic and chilis. Stir frequently for around 1 min.
    Garlic and thai chilies in oil in a cast iron pan
  • Add sliced Japanese eggplant, and cook until tender. You will want to stir a bit but also leave the eggplant undisturbed from time to time to allow some browning. It took me about 20 minutes to get mine tender and browned to my liking...please adjust the time to suit your stove. You may also add a little extra oil if the eggplant starts to stick or you think it's getting too dry. When the eggplant is tender and browned, then add the miso and sake paste, and stir until incorporated. Last step is to add a few splashes of sesame oil and a pinch of sugar (or sugar to taste).
    cut up pieces of Japanese eggplant being browned and cooked in a cast iron pan
  • Garnish with green onions and enjoy!
    Stir Fried Japanese Eggplant With Miso in a gold rimmed bowl garnished with green onions and chopsticks on the side

Notes

If you don't have sake you can substitute Shaoxing Rice Wine.  
The Thai chilies add quite a bit of heat to this dish.  If you don't prefer spicy food, it's best to leave these out or reduce the amount of chilies called for. 
This simple stir fried Japanese eggplant makes for a delicious side dish to accompany any meal!  Enjoy with your best pair of chopsticks!
Keyword eggplant, miso
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About Me

Hi I’m Grace! I'm married and a mom to my fur baby, Toby, and food and travel are two of my greatest passions! Since our bank account does not allow us to travel or eat out as much as we'd like, I decided I would cook delicious meals that could give us a taste of all the places we'd like to go. My goal is to get you in the kitchen, and inspire you to cook and taste delightful meals that will transport you too. Let’s throw some actual travel in from time to time, all with an emphasis on keeping your wallet full and happy as well. Let’s get cooking and let’s start exploring!! I'm excited to be on this journey with you!!

By the way most of these recipes are Toby taste tested and Toby approved!!

Chief Taste Tester Toby

Toby Chief Taste Tester

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