Tender eggplant with browned edges, coated in a glossy sauce of miso, mirin and sake. Served with rice and spring onion, this makes a savory Japanese lunch for two.
Nasu miso itame brings together two ingredients that work well with each other: eggplant becomes tender and almost creamy when cooked, while miso adds a salty, full-bodied flavor. Mirin brings mild sweetness, and sake loosens the sauce and rounds out the flavor. The spring onion adds a fresh, slightly sharp contrast at the end. The rice is deliberately simple; it soaks up the sauce without overpowering the eggplant.
Eggplant is mostly water, but it also absorbs oil easily while cooking. So cut it into generous pieces and cook them in a large, hot pan, where they can make contact with the surface and develop browned spots. An overcrowded pan cools down quickly: the eggplant will then cook in its own moisture rather than brown. Cook it in two batches if needed. The browned edges add flavor and contrast with the soft interior.
Miso varies in color, saltiness and intensity depending on the type. White miso is generally softer and milder; red miso has a stronger flavor and can make the sauce saltier. A mixed miso is also suitable. Taste the sauce before adding it to the eggplant, and keep in mind that you may need a little less if using a darker miso. Mirin and sake are available at Japanese grocery stores and many larger supermarkets. If you don't have sake, leave it out and use an extra tablespoon of water; the flavor will be a little less deep. Don't use sweet cooking wine as a substitute without adjusting the amount of mirin.
The name describes the main ingredients and the cooking method: nasu means eggplant, miso is fermented bean paste, and itame refers to stir-frying. The exact ingredients in dishes like this can vary from household to household and recipe to recipe, so this version keeps the sauce simple and familiar. The eggplant should be cooked through but still hold its shape, so stir gently once you add the miso. Serve right away with warm rice and thinly sliced spring onion. Cover leftovers and refrigerate within two hours; use them within two days. Reheat thoroughly in a pan with a small splash of water.
Rinse the rice until the water runs mostly clear. Put it in a saucepan with a lid along with 180 ml water. Bring to a boil, turn the heat to low and cook, covered, for 12 minutes. Remove from the heat and let stand for another 10 minutes with the lid on.
Cut the eggplants into pieces about 3 cm in size. In a small bowl, stir the miso, mirin, sake, sugar and 2 tablespoons of water until smooth.
Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium-high to high heat. Cook the eggplant for 8–10 minutes, turning the pieces regularly, until tender and browned in spots. Cook in two batches if needed.
Turn the heat to low. Add the miso mixture and gently toss until the sauce is glossy and clings to the eggplant, 1–2 minutes. Don't let the pieces fall apart.
Thinly slice the spring onion into rings. Divide the rice between two bowls or plates, spoon the eggplant on top and finish with the spring onion. Serve right away.
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