Japanese · side

Nasu Dengaku (Grilled Miso-Glazed Eggplant)

Video by Sudachi | Japanese Recipes | Yuto Omura on YouTube · Open on YouTube

20 minMakes 4 × ½ eggplant84 kcal a portion
  • Low carb (7.8 g net carbs) but not keto: 28% of the energy is from fat, and keto meals get about 60% or more
  • Vegan
  • Gluten-free ingredients
  • Nut-free

Contains: Sesame, Soy. Check labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes.

A vegan side of about 85 kcal a serve: the grilled eggplant needs no oil, and the miso glaze brings deep savoury flavour with only about 2 g added sugar, under 3 g fat and about 4 g fibre per half eggplant.

Printable PDFA4

The printable card is ink-friendly, fits on one page and has a QR code back to this recipe.

Ingredients 8

Method

Tap a time to watch that step in the video.

  1. Heat the grill or oven broiler on medium. Cut the stems off the eggplants, halve them lengthways and score the cut sides in a fine crosshatch. 0:08
  2. Grill flesh side towards the heat for about 3–5 minutes until lightly charred, then flip and grill the skin side for 5 minutes. Pierce the thickest part with a chopstick; give it 2–3 more minutes if still firm. 0:40
  3. Meanwhile put the miso, sake, mirin, brown sugar and sesame oil in a small pan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring constantly so the miso doesn't burn, then stir on low until slightly thickened. 1:02
  4. Turn the soft eggplants cut side up, spread a thick layer of glaze over each and grill about 2 minutes more, until the miso bubbles and darkens. 1:56
  5. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and sliced shiso and serve as a side dish or appetiser. 2:19

Tip. Globe eggplants work too: cut them into 2–3 cm rounds and score one side. Sudachi grills with no oil, so the only fat is the ½ tbsp sesame oil in the glaze.

The method is a summary in our words — the video shows every step.

One portion (½ eggplant) gives you 1 of 4

Energy84 kcal350 kJ
Protein2.5 g5% of a day
Fibre4.3 g15% of a day
Carbohydrate12 g7.8 g net · 7.1 g sugars4% of a day
Fat2.9 g0.4 g saturated4% of a day
Sodium320 mg14% of a day

Where the energy comes from one serve

  • Net carbs 46%
  • Protein 15%
  • Fat 39%

For comparison, low-carb eating usually gets under 26% of its energy from carbs, and ketogenic eating under 10%. Why this is here

Vitamins & minerals % of a day, one serve · tap for more

No vitamin or mineral reaches 10% of a day in one serve.

Show the other 15
Vitamin K8%

9.2 µg a serve, mostly from long Japanese eggplants (48%). Needed for blood clotting and bones. Leafy greens and herbs are very rich in it. If you take warfarin, keep your intake steady and talk to your doctor.

Folate8%

30 µg a serve, mostly from long Japanese eggplants (91%). Needed to make DNA and new cells — especially important before and in early pregnancy. Legumes and leafy greens are rich sources.

Vitamin B68%

0.1 mg a serve, mostly from long Japanese eggplants (78%). Helps turn food into energy and make brain messengers. Chickpeas, fish, poultry, potatoes and bananas are good sources.

Potassium7%

320 mg a serve, mostly from long Japanese eggplants (90%). Balances sodium to help control blood pressure and keeps muscles and nerves working. Beans, potatoes, leafy greens and fruit are rich sources.

Magnesium6%

25 mg a serve, mostly from long Japanese eggplants (69%). Takes part in hundreds of reactions — energy, muscles, nerves, blood sugar and bones. Nuts, seeds, legumes and whole grains are good sources.

Zinc5%

0.6 mg a serve, mostly from yellow miso paste (47%). Needed for immunity, wound healing, taste and growth. Meat, seafood, legumes, seeds and whole grains supply it.

Iron3%

0.6 mg a serve, mostly from long Japanese eggplants (40%). Carries oxygen in your blood. Iron from plants absorbs better with vitamin C in the same meal — lemon, tomato or capsicum.

Vitamin C3%

2.8 mg a serve, mostly from long Japanese eggplants (97%). An antioxidant needed for collagen, immunity and iron absorption. Long cooking destroys some, so raw herbs, citrus and capsicum help.

Vitamin E3%

0.4 mg a serve, mostly from long Japanese eggplants (92%). An antioxidant that protects cell membranes. Nuts, seeds and plant oils such as olive oil are the main sources.

Calcium2%

25 mg a serve, mostly from long Japanese eggplants (45%). Builds bones and teeth and helps muscles and nerves work. Dairy, calcium-set tofu, sardines with their bones and some greens supply it.

Selenium2%

1.2 µg a serve, mostly from yellow miso paste (48%). Part of the body's antioxidant enzymes and needed for thyroid hormones. Seafood, eggs, meat and Brazil nuts are rich sources.

Omega-32%

0 g a serve, mostly from yellow miso paste (73%). Omega-3 fats support the heart and brain. Oily fish give EPA and DHA; walnuts, flax, chia and canola give ALA, which the body converts only a little.

Vitamin A0%

2.9 µg a serve, mostly from shiso leaves (45%). Keeps eyes, skin and the immune system healthy. Orange vegetables and dark greens give beta-carotene, which the body turns into vitamin A.

Vitamin D0%

0 µg a serve. Helps you absorb calcium for bones and supports muscles. Few foods have much — oily fish, eggs, UV-exposed mushrooms, fortified milks. Sunlight is the main source.

Vitamin B120%

0 µg a serve, mostly from yellow miso paste (100%). Keeps nerves and blood cells healthy. Found almost only in animal foods and fortified foods (some plant milks, nutritional yeast), so vegans need a reliable source.

Estimated from the ingredient list with USDA FoodData Central values; % of a day uses the food-label daily values. How this works

You might also like

Browse all 953 recipes

Recipe and video by Sudachi | Japanese Recipes | Yuto Omura; the method summary, nutrition estimate and diet notes are Notbroken’s. General information about food, not dietary advice.