Japanese Eggplant: Easy Stir-Fried Japanese Eggplant Recipe

Japanese eggplant is a long and slender cultivar of eggplant (Solanum melongena, also called aubergine) with delicate skin and a mild, sweet flavor. You can use Japanese eggplants in many Asian dishes, such as nasu dengaku and nasu agebitashi, and Western eggplant dishes, like eggplant parmesan.

Japanese eggplants and globe eggplants are two cultivars in the eggplant family with some key differences:

• Shape: Globe eggplants are a standard American eggplant that grows large and heavy with a rounded end. Japanese eggplant varieties are long and slender fruits that look more like a dark-purple cucumber than a globe eggplant.
• Skin: The skin of globe eggplants is thick and sturdy, and chefs tend to remove it before cooking. Conversely, the skin of Japanese eggplants is delicate, thin, and doesn’t require peeling, making it easier to eat.
• Flavor: Globe eggplants have a slightly bitter taste, so chefs prefer salting or seasoning them during preparation. Japanese eggplants have a milder flavor with a sweet tinge and don’t require as much salt or seasonings.

You can serve Japanese eggplant as a standalone side dish or appetizer or topping for a donburi-style rice bowl. Here are a few ways to cook the robust vegetable:

1. 1. Grill: Nasu dengaku, a simple presentation of grilled eggplant brushed with a miso glaze, is an easy and striking side dish: The sweetness of the miso complements the savory, smoky flavor of the grilled eggplant, caramelizing along the surface as it cooks.
2. 2. Roast: Japanese eggplant is ideal for slow roasting in the oven, where a longer cooking time can draw out its mild flavors and turn its flesh soft and creamy. Serve with various accompaniments, like an herb-based chimichurri, salsa verde, or drizzled with a savory tahini sauce made from sesame seeds.
3. 3. Stir-fry: Eggplant serves as a good vehicle for a multitude of flavors, so it’s a natural fit for the many layers of stir-fry. Eggplant’s melt-in-the-mouth texture also adds a nuanced component to a dish like fried rice.
4. 4. Deep-fry: In nasu agebitashi, thick eggplant slices are deep-fried and served in a soy sauce-based broth.