Nasu no nibitashi

Name: Nasu no nibitashi
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 25 min
Cuisine: Japanese
Ingredients: 4 Japanese or small eggplants; 1 tbsp sunflower oil; 250 ml water; 5 g kombu; 1 dried shiitake mushroom; 2 tbsp soy sauce; 2 tbsp mirin; 2 cm fresh ginger; 1 spring onion

Aubergine in cold dashi

Nasu no nibitashi (茄子の煮浸し): eggplant briefly cooked and steeped in cold dashi with ginger

Features:

Vegetarian Quick Dairy free Make ahead Low calorie

Cuisine:

Japanese

On a sticky summer evening in Osaka or Tokyo, a chilled dish of nibitashi is one of the nicest things to find in the fridge: Japanese eggplant cut into pieces, cooked in a little oil until silky, then left to soak in cold, lightly sweet soy dashi with grated ginger. It is served cool beside rice and grilled fish or tofu. This version uses vegetarian kombu-shiitake dashi. A portion is about 80 kcal. The most common mistake is frying the eggplant in lots of oil; it drinks it all up and turns heavy. Brush it lightly and cook it covered so it steams soft. Chef's tip: score the skin in fine diagonal lines before cooking; the broth soaks in faster and the purple skin stays bright.

Total time: 25 min
Difficulty: easy
Serves: 4

One step at a time, big text, timers, read-aloud. Your screen stays on.

Ingredients

Serves4

4 Japanese or small eggplantsabout 400 g, halved lengthways and the skin finely scored
1 tbsp sunflower oil
1 cup water
⅛ oz kombua 10 cm piece
1 dried shiitake mushroom
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp mirincontains alcohol; or 1 tbsp sugar
¾ in fresh gingerfinely grated
1 spring onionfinely sliced

Shop this recipe on Amazon

Spices & pantry

Fresh ingredients (3)

Links open Amazon in a new tab. As an Amazon Associate, WhatToEat.Today earns from qualifying purchases.

Method

0/5 done

Step 1: Put 1 cup water, ⅛ oz kombu and 1 dried shiitake mushroom in a small pan and heat gently for 8 minutes until just simmering. Remove the kombu and shiitake, add 2 tbsp soy sauce and 2 tbsp mirin and simmer for 1 minute to cook off the alcohol. Pour into a shallow dish.
9 min
Step 2: Cut the 4 Japanese or small eggplants halves into 2–3 pieces. Brush the cut sides lightly with 1 tbsp sunflower oil.
Step 3: Put them skin side down in a frying pan over a medium heat for 2 minutes, then turn, cover and cook for 4–5 minutes, until a chopstick goes in with no resistance and the flesh is creamy.
7 min
Step 4: Put the hot eggplant straight into the broth and turn to coat. Leave to cool, then chill for at least 10 minutes (or overnight).
10 min
Step 5: Serve cold, topped with ¾ in fresh ginger and 1 spring onion and a spoonful of the broth.

Nutrition per serving

Calories: 80 kcal
Protein: 2 g
Carbs: 10 g
Fat: 3 g
Fibre: 4 g

Nutrition values are estimates.

Recipe by

KrazyBadal

All recipes by this chef →

Good to know

How long does nasu no nibitashi take?: About 25 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 15 minutes to cook.
How many people does it serve?: 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
Is it vegan?: Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
Can I make it ahead?: Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
What can I use instead of dried shiitake mushroom?: Aubergine, diced, same weight.
What can I use instead of soy sauce?: Tamari, same amount (gluten free).

Reviews

No reviews yet. Be the first to cook it.

Rate this recipe

Yaki onigiriGrilled rice balls

Yaki onigiri (焼きおにぎり) are rice balls grilled until they form a crisp, toasty crust, then brushed with soy sauce glaze. They are eaten all over Japan, at izakaya, at barbecues and from the freezer section, as a snack or with miso soup. The inside stays soft and steamy while the outside crackles. Best eaten hot, straight from the pan. Chef's tip: let the shaped rice balls dry for 10 minutes before they go in the pan. A drier surface forms a better crust and won't stick, and the glaze goes on only at the end so it doesn't burn.

30 min

Japanese Snacks & Starters

by KrazyBadal 2 views

Miso soup

Miso soup (味噌汁) is drunk every day in homes all over Japan, at breakfast as well as dinner, beside a bowl of rice. The base is dashi; this vegan version uses kombu and dried shiitake instead of bonito, which gives it a deep, rounded flavour. Silken tofu and wakame seaweed are the classic fillings. It takes ten minutes; just remember not to boil the miso. Chef's tip: add the miso at the very end and never let it boil. Boiling kills the miso's fresh, fermented aroma; Japanese cooks say the soup should only 'smile', with the surface barely trembling.

10 min

Japanese Soups

by KrazyBadal 2 views

TashmijabiMashed potatoes with stretchy cheese

Potatoes grow well in the cold valleys of Svaneti, and tashmijabi is how families around Mestia turn them into a feast dish: they are mashed hot, then beaten with handfuls of young sulguni until the purée becomes glossy and stretches from the spoon in long strands. It is served with grilled meat, kubdari or simply with pickles and Svan salt. A common mistake is letting the potatoes cool before adding the cheese; they must be piping hot for the cheese to melt and stretch. Chef's tip: keep the pan on a low heat while you beat, and use a firm wooden spoon. Most sulguni uses animal rennet; choose a vegetarian one or use mozzarella.

35 min