Japanese
VeganNasu no nibitashi
Aubergine in cold dashi
Nasu no nibitashi (茄子の煮浸し): eggplant briefly cooked and steeped in cold dashi with ginger
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.
- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- 15 min
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Serves
- 4
- Per serving
- 80 kcal
Ingredients
- 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
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tbsp mirincontains alcohol; or 1 tbsp sugar
- ¾ in fresh gingerfinely grated
- 1 spring onionfinely sliced
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Method
0/5 doneStep 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 minStep 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 minStep 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 minStep 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.
KrazyBadal
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).
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