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 pan fried sliced eggplant served with delicious sauce made from ponzu and sesame oil. The combination of eggplant, shiso leaves, and the ponzu sauce is simply amazing!
Servings: 2
Ingredients
- 2 green onions/scallions (finely chopped)
- 5 shiso leaves (perilla/ooba) (chiffonaded)
- 1 Tbsp roasted sesame oil (for pan frying)
- 1 Japanese/Chinese eggplant
For the Seasonings
- 2 Tbsp ponzu
- 1 Tbsp roasted sesame oil
- ¼ tsp kobucha (kombucha) (this is NOT the kombucha, the fermented drink. Konbucha/Kobucha is made from kombu seaweed; you can substitute it with salt; however, it will lack the umami the kobucha can offer)
Japanese Ingredient Substitution: If you want substitutes for Japanese condiments and ingredients, click here.
Instructions
- Gather all the ingredients. Finely chop green onions and cut shiso leaves into chiffonade.
- In a small bowl, whisk together all the ingredients for the seasonings and set aside.
- In a non-stick frying pan, heat sesame oil on medium-high heat. While heating up, slice the eggplant into ¼ inch (6 mm) thickness. Before eggplant starts changing its color, immediately start cooking. Cook both sides of the eggplant until nice golden brown.
- Transfer to a serving plate or individual plates. If you like it serve it cold, keep the sauce and finished eggplants in the fridge until you are ready to serve.
- Sprinkle green onions and shiso leaves on top. Drizzle the 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.
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