Melty texture Yaki Nasu (Roasted Eggplant)

Yaki nasu（焼きナス）

What kind of dish is Yakinasu??

Yaki nasu is a simple dish that can be made simply by roasting eggplant in the oven.

eggplant = nasu = ナス yaki = grill,roast,bake

My mother used to make this dish using eggplants harvested from the fields during the summer.

I use the oven, but my mother uses a toaster oven to make this dish. Some families use a fish grill or shichirin to cook this dish.

Eggplants are delicious stir-fried and tempura, but the texture and sweetness unique to roasted eggplants is also exceptional. Of all the dishes using eggplant, I like yaki nasu the most.

Eggplant is perfect for summer because it has the effect of cooling the body.
When eggplant is cheap, I make it a lot and freeze it. I really recommend this recipe because raw eggplants can’t be stored very long.

The key to making it delicious is to roast it until the skin is wrinkled and charred.
Slowly roasting the eggplant gives it a melting texture.

I use homemade mensuyu, but my mother uses ponzu (a mixture of soy sauce and citrus juice).

It is also delicious with toppings such as myoga (Japanese ginger) and green onions.

Feel free to arrange it to suit your taste.

About eggplants

Eggplant is called “なす＝nasu” in Japanese.

Eggplant is a vegetable eaten all over the world.

• The most distributed in Japan is “長なす＝naga nasu”. It can be used in a variety of cooking methods, including simmered dishes, stir-fries, grills, and fries.
• “水なす＝mizu nasu” is rich in water and can be eaten raw. It is used in pickles and carpaccio.
• “加茂なす＝kamo nasu”, a specialty of Kyoto, is used for simmered dishes, dengaku, pickles, etc., because its flesh is dense, soft and does not fall apart easily when boiled.
• “米なす＝bei nasu” is a variety introduced from the United States and is suitable for cooking with oil. Using oil improves the taste and color, so it can be used as an ingredient for gratin and pasta.

NUTRITION FACTS of Yaki nasu (Roasted eggplant)

TOTAL NUTRITION VALUE

• 90 calories
• Protein 5.1 g
• Total Fat 0.3 g
• Total Carbohydrate 22.0 g
• Sodium 1.9 g

Yaki nasu (Roasted eggplant) INGREDIENTS (2SERVINGS)

• 2～3 Eggplants 350g
• ☆Soy sauce 10g
• ☆Mirin 10g
• ☆Hot water 15g
• ☆Dashi stock granules 1g
• Bonito flakes 1g

Yaki nasu (Roasted eggplant) COOKING INSTRUCTIONS

1. Remove the petal-like parts of the eggplant. Then cut off the tip. (Don’t cut off the whole calyx, just the tip. If you’re not sure how to do this, refer to the video and photos.)
2. Poke several holes in the eggplant with a fork, or make several cuts with a knife. The cuts prevent the skin from bursting while roasting and make it easier to remove the skin after roasting.
3. Roast in the oven at 230 degrees for 40 minutes. (No need for preheating.)
4. Roast the eggplant until it is tender, then remove it from the oven. To bring out the sweetness of eggplant to the fullest, it is best to roast it until the skin turns to charcoal. (I don’t want the room to smell like it’s burning, so I take it out before it gets burnt.)
5. Before the eggplant cools, hold the calyx and peel it. Be careful not to burn yourself as it will be hot.
6. Cut the eggplant into suitable sizes.　※You can freeze it in this state. Defrost naturally or heat in the microwave and eat.
7. Mix dark soy sauce, mirin, hot water, and dashi stock granules.
8. This dish can be eaten either hot or cold. Topped with soup and bonito flakes when eating.　

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