One of the vegetables that I learned to appreciate is eggplant. I didn’t understand why my mother cooked this vegetable so often when I was growing up. How funny I became to enjoy eggplant in my early 20s. This Eggplant with Sesame Ponzu Sauce (ナスの胡麻ポン酢和え) is one of my favorite eggplant dishes and I hope you enjoy it. It’s so easy to prepare and delicious!
Tips on Making Eggplant with Sesame Ponzu Sauce
- Cut the eggplant right before you cook. Eggplant changes its color when exposed to air. Therefore, as soon as you cut it into slices, fry them in the oil immediately.
- Kobucha or kombucha (昆布茶) is not a kombucha, the fermented drink, you may know of. It’s granules made of kombu and salt, and we drink it as a tea in Japan. Since it’s made of kombu and salt, we often use it as a seasoning.
- Try serving this chilled in the summer and warm in other seasons. So refreshing and delicious!
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Eggplant with Sesame Ponzu Sauce
Quick and easy Eggplant with Sesame Ponzu Sauce is sliced and pan-fried until tender golden brown. The combination of Japanese eggplant, shiso leaves, and the bright citrus-based soy sauce is simply amazing!
Ingredients
- 2 green onions/scallions (finely chopped)
- 5 shiso leaves (perilla/ooba) (cut into chiffonade)
- 1 Tbsp toasted sesame oil (for pan-frying)
- 1 Japanese or Chinese eggplant
For the Sauce
- 2 Tbsp ponzu (you can make your own homemade ponzu)
- 1 Tbsp toasted sesame oil
- ¼ tsp kobucha (kombucha) (this is NOT the fermented drink kombucha; Japanese kobucha/konbucha is a kelp tea powder made from kombu seaweed; you can substitute it with salt, but it will lack kobucha‘s umami)
Instructions
- Gather all the ingredients. Finely chop 2 green onions/scallions and cut 5 shiso leaves (perilla/ooba) into a chiffonade.
- In a small bowl, whisk together all the ingredients for the sauce: 2 Tbsp ponzu, 1 Tbsp toasted sesame oil, and ¼ tsp kobucha (kombucha) powder. Set aside.
- In a nonstick frying pan, heat 1 Tbsp toasted sesame oil on medium-high heat. While the oil is heating up, cut 1 Japanese or Chinese eggplant into slices ¼ inch (6 mm) thick. Before the eggplant starts to change color, immediately start cooking. Pan-fry both sides of the eggplant until golden brown.
- Transfer to a serving plate or individual plates. If you‘d like to serve it cold, keep the sauce and finished eggplants separately in the refrigerator until you are ready to serve.
- Sprinkle the chopped green onions and shredded shiso leaves on top. Drizzle the sesame ponzu sauce over the eggplant. Serve hot, at room temperature, or chilled.
To Store
- You can keep the dish in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for 3 days or in the freezer for 2 weeks. Store the sauce and eggplant in separate containers.
Nutrition
Calories: 62kcal, Carbohydrates: 7g, Protein: 1g, Fat: 4g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 1g, Sodium: 212mg, Potassium: 262mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 4g, Vitamin A: 36IU, Vitamin C: 3mg, Calcium: 12mg, Iron: 1mg
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