Nasu Dengaku (茄子田楽)

/ Haruka Sugiyama

Description: The taste of rustic Japan. Somewhat nostalgic, and somehow tastes like my Japanese home.
Serves: 2 
Cooking time: 25 minutes

Ingredients

  • Miso paste – 1 tablespoon
  • Sugar – 1 tablespoon
  • Mirin cooking wine – 2 tablespoons
  • Aubergine – 1 piece or 200g
  • Sesame oil – 2 tablespoons

Method

1. Make an incision on the flesh side of the aubergine.
2. In a large non-stick frying pan, add the oil, place the cut side of the aubergine on the bottom, 100 mL of water, and cook until the aubergine is cooked.
3. Meanwhile, in a small pot, add the miso, sugar, mirin and 100 mL of water, and heat until it boils. Mix well.
4. Spread the miso on top of the aubergine.

Nutritional Values Per Serving

KcalProteinFatCarbsFibreSugarsSaltSaturated Fat
205.32.1g14.3g19.7g3.5g12.7g1.1g2.1g
10.3%4.1%20.4%7.6%11.5%14.1%18.8%10.3%
*These values are approximate and based on the value from ingredients prepared before cooking (Reference USDA). Percent daily values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may vary depending on your calorie needs. Folate and Vitamin E are over 10%, Phosphorus and Vitamin B3 are over 20%, Vitamin D is over 100% of an adult’s daily reference intake. However, some Vitamins may be lost while cooking.

Nutritional Tips

Dengaku (田楽 in Japanese) is a well-known rustic dish in Japan. Aubergine, tofu, taro potatoes, konnyaku, and radish are served with skewers. My grandparents love them so much although I did not appreciate them when I was young. Now I do. I wish I could share my present time with them so that we could have such a nice time sharing this dish together.

In Central Japan, in the Tokai region, they tend to use red miso paste. Rice cooked with chopped daikon radish leaves (Nameshi: 菜飯) is commonly served along with these dengaku dishes in restaurants. The taste of the countryside is really nice to have during your holiday. You can try this wonderful dish at home without travelling so far.

Due to the nature of this sweet miso paste recipe (miso is high in fat, and sugar is added in this recipe), you may want to consider how much you would be eating to achieve a balanced diet.

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