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Eggplant with Sesame Ponzu Sauce

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Eggplant with Sesame Ponzu Sauce topped with shiso and green onion on a plate.

Today I’m guest posting at A little bit of everything (now a trEATs affair) while the author Roxana is back home in Romania.  She’s featuring several guest bloggers who were born outside of the US and today is my turn.  You probably remember her from the guest post Vegan Green Tea Cookies she shared on Just One Cookbook.  She is extraordinary talented with baking and you should definitely check out the delicious Vegan Zucchini Bread she just shared on her blog the other day.

If you are an avid reader of my blog, you probably know there is one category in my website that has only a few entries.  Yes, that’s sweets and baking category.  Since I can’t share many delicious bread, cookies, or any other nice treats, I hope you find some good recipes in Roxana’s recipes index.

Back to my guest post.  Since I don’t have any baking recipe to share at the moment and Roxana is a pescatorian, I decided to feature a vegetarian dish.  Eggplant with Sesame Ponzu Sauce is one of my favorite eggplant recipe as it’s very easy to make!  The combination of eggplant, shiso leaves, and the ponzu sauce is simply amazing.  If you are having a party, you can even prepare this beforehand so you’ll have plenty of time to work on the main course.

Last but not least, I want to thank Ann of Cooking Healthy For Me for the Blogger Award.  Thank you Ann!  Now please head over to A little bit of everything (now a trEATs affair) and check out this quick and delicious appetizer.  Have a wonderful Monday everyone!
Eggplant with Sesame Ponzu Sauce topped with shio and green onion on a plate.

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Eggplant with Sesame Ponzu Sauce
Eggplant with Sesame Ponzu Sauce
Print
Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
20 mins
Total Time
30 mins
 
Course: Appetizer, Side Dish
Servings: 2
Ingredients
Seasonings:
  • 2 Tbsp Ponzu
  • 1 Tbsp sesame oil
  • ¼ tsp Konbucha (or salt) (this is not Kombucha, a fermented drink. Konbucha/Kobucha is made from Konbu seaweed)
Instructions
  1. Gather all the ingredients.

    Finely chop green onions and cut shiso leaves into chiffonade.

    Eggplant with Sesame Ponzu Sauce Ingredients
  2. In a small bowl, combine all the ingredients for Seasonings and mix all together. Keep in the fridge until you are ready to serve.
    Eggplant with Sesame Ponzu Sauce 1
  3. In a non-stick frying pan, heat sesame oil on medium high heat. While heating up, slice the eggplant into ¼ inch thickness. Before eggplant start to change color, immediately start cooking. Brown both sides of eggplant.
    Eggplant with Sesame Ponzu Sauce 2
  4. When eggplant is done cooking, place it on the serving dish.
    Eggplant with Sesame Ponzu Sauce 3
  5. Sprinkle green onions. If you like it eat it cold, keep the plates in the fridge until you are ready to serve.
    Eggplant with Sesame Ponzu Sauce 4
  6. Put Shiso leaves on top and pour the Seasonings over the eggplant.
    Eggplant with Sesame Ponzu Sauce 5
Recipe Notes

Recipe by Namiko Chen of Just One Cookbook. All images and content on this site are copyright protected. Please do not use my images without my permission. If you’d like to share this recipe on your site, please re-write the recipe in your own words and link to this post as the original source. Thank you.

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  2. The eggplant looks delish… but that sesame ponzu sauce!!!!!!!! Oh, it’s calling my name! Incidentally, I went to buy ponzu this weekend… the grocery store had every type of sauce imaginable… EXCEPT ponzu. URG! I ended up making my own dipping sauce… lol! Happy Monday Nami!

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  5. Nami, I can’t believe you have just posted one more wonderful recipe with shiso! You know my addiction to shiso… I adore aubergine, have all the ingredients apart from konbucha (which really seems to avoid me 😉 since I always forget to buy it when I go to my Japanese shop), so I will make it even today! (I will soon have to add a special category on my blog “Nami’s recipes” 😉 )

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  6. This looks so delicious! I need to pick up some ponzu sauce. We don’t get the long eggplant in Israel, only the regular and baby ones, but I’m sure they will work as well. My husband isn’t crazy about eggplant but loves them with miso and I bet he would like this too!

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  8. That looks so good, and so simple! I was just commenting on another blog that I need to try shiso leaves… they’re popping up everywhere right now and they seem to add a wonderful flavor!

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  9. i like Konbucha but have never cooked with it before! now i have a recipe to try for the next time i have chinese eggplants at home…can’t wait! 🙂 have a good week ahead nami!

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  10. This really makes a great appetizer and your presentation makes it look almost too precious to nibble on, Nami. 😉 I imagine the tart flavour of ponzu going very well with the eggplants which – if I might say – look a bit naughty. 😛

    Cheers,
    Tobias

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  12. Nami, it’s because of you that I have the pleasure of tasting and falling in love with Ponzu sauce gotta give this a recipe a try soon!

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  22. Heading over to your guest post at Roxana’s blog, Nami. In the meantime, these aubergines look tasty and so different to the Italian version we’re used to. And let me say, you may have less recipes when it comes to baking but when you do one, it’s worth the wait. You did these amazing purin desserts on my blog at http://madaboutmacarons.com/archives/5816 which was a real treat!

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  24. Jamie @ the unseasoned wok

    Beautiful veggie dish Nami! I wish my husband enjoyed eggplant more because I love it, but I can only eat so much and whenever I make it, I’m the only one who eats it!

    I know what you mean about baking. I’m not a baker myself, but I know you can do it! I’ve seen it here on JOC.

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  25. i love that you can make this beforehand, it would free up so much time to work on other dishes for a dinner party or meal. the sauce also looks like its a lot of flavor. yum!

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  31. Mika

    Oh yes, this is also my favorite dish. I eat with some finely grated giner with sesami oil + soy sauce! Yum Yum Yum ; )

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  33. Now I have a new idea for what to do with all the Chinese eggplant we have in the garden! I have tried just about every type of preparation, but this Sesame Ponzu sauce sounds delightful. Then again, EVERYTHING on your site looks delicious. My stomach is grumbling at this point! 🙂

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  36. Nami, I just got a couple of eggplants and was debating how to prepare them…love the simplicity of this dish…and I love shiso.
    Hope you have a wonderful week ahead 🙂

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  42. Anything you cook looks very good and delicious, Nami! Whether it’s meat or all veggies, I am always a big fan of your cooking, presentation, and photography. 🙂

    ~ ray ~

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  43. Oh I just bought eggplant! I am torn now- between making this and what I originally planned. Have you seen that Miso Quick Pickling kit? I bought eggplant and cucumbers to try that out. LOL

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  46. What a simple eggplant preparation! I love it for this reason, and I need to try it. The ponzu must give it a fresh taste, and the green onion with shiso a little bite. I don’t make eggplant enough but it’s such a wonderful vegetable. Do your kids like it this way?

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  49. Hi, Nami! I’ve never had ponzu sauce before, but will love to try it! I bet my hubby will love this recipe!! He lovess EGGPLANT! =] Have a great week!

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  50. That is a super elegant eggplant dish! Most eggplant dish I know is heavy and rich and greasy…It’s nice to see a light, refreshing eggplant dish for a change! 🙂

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  51. Abby

    eggplant has got to be one of my favorite veggies to eat. this looks simple and just appetizing! I definitely will try this out!

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  53. Lovely, Nami! Filipinos love fried eggplants. We eat it with a soy based dip, too. I can imagine how delicious this dish is with the sauce and the sprinkles.

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  56. Nami, this looks wonderful, what a great idea for a party! My daughter is starting to like eggplant too…she loves trying all these new flavors. I’ll have to see if my Korean store has some more sisho leaves! 🙂 Last time I bought them I used it in my bentos not much else, so good to get more ways to use it.

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  57. Hi Nami,
    Thank you so much for the wonderful guest post and for your sweet words. I love eggplants and your appetizer sounds delicious. Now … I wish I was back in the States to make some since your photos are sure making me hungry!

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    • Roxana, thank you so much for inviting me to guest post on your blog! One day I hope I become a good baker like you and share some delicious bread or dessert on your blog. Hehee!

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  59. Hi Nami-I already commented on Roxana’s blog for the great guest post from you!
    Love the way you made the eggplant with the sesame and Ponzu sauce. One more way for me to make eggplant which we love so much!
    Lovely recipe, and great guest post!

    BTW-You are the winner for the cookbook giveaway! Please send me your address on my e-mail, so I could ship out the book to you by the end of this week…the latest!
    Congratulations, so glad you won, and I hope you will like the book:DDD

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  60. Honestly I never liked eggplants but recently I added it into my diet to try different dishes that uses it. So far I loved parmigiana and even a simple grilled one, this one will be next on the list, looks like I will love iit

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  61. Looks so delicious, Nami! I have the opposite problem…I bake way too many sweets, but rarely any chocolate (since I’m weird and don’t really like it). But anyways, I love both eggplant and ponzu, so this is the perfect combo.

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  65. Simply gorgeous… I have to find out whether we have ponzu sauce in the Asian Grocer here… must be the middle bottle with ‘lemon’ picture… right?

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    • Yes, I forgot what the picture is…but pretty sure it’s not lemon. Either Yuzu, Sudachi, or Kabosu, I think. But you got the point right there is a yellow fruit on the picture. 🙂

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  66. Nami – This looks really good as an appetizer. I love eggplants and ponzu, so this is definitely for me. Did you know you and I both posted an eggplant recipe on the same day? Great minds think alike?? LoL.

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  67. Ohhh I am so behind with my blog hopping! And here you are with this gorgeous recipe! I am always looking for different ways to cook eggplant as it is my favourite summer veggie! Very elegant and beautiful presentation too!

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  68. Beautiful eggplant presentation and congrats on your awards again! 😀
    Do you believe if I tell you that I love eggplants but had once cooked it ONCE only in my whole cooking life!? Bcoz I don’t know how to cook it the way I love it- stir-fry eggplants with spicy dried shrimps. 😛
    I must keep a look-out for the ponzu sauce and shiso leaves now. Can’t seems to find shiso leaves here…

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  72. Sharon

    I can’t get away from the computer since discovering your wonderful website. I’m searching for a published cookbook that you might be offering for sale, as I find myself printing your delicious recipes and using up a lot of my printer ink! I even salivate at the food photos. Great website! Never heard of Ponzu Sauce before so will have to check my local asian supermarket. Thanks for sharing your recipes. Japanese food is my favorite that I never get enough of. You make it easy to attempt preparing the food. Even your CAPTCHA is easy enough!

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  73. Emma Stone

    Thanks Nami for the fab recipe! I love eggplant and I’m definitely trying this out soon! Hope mine looks (and tastes) half as good!

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    • Hi Cha!

      The word Ponzu is derived from the Dutch word “pons”, which means citrus juice. Originally “ponzu” contains just the juice of sudachi, yuzu, and kabosu and vinegar, and it doesn’t include soy sauce.

      However, when most of Japanese recipes refer “Ponzu” these days, it usually means Ponzu Shoyu (soy sauce in Japanese) which contains a mix of ponzu, soy sauce, sugar or mirin, and dashi.

      “Ajipon” is a ponzu (ponzu shoyu) product name for Mizkan brand.

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  75. Lily

    Hello Nami,

    I found your blog by accident while looking to purchase some Japanese cookery and china last week (late Feb). Ever since, I’ve been making and replenishing my stock of Sunomono cucumbers and wakame, made 3 batches of salted salmon and right this moment I have some seabass marinating in miso paste in my fridge.

    Tonight my husband had a huge smile when I served the eggplant with ponzu sauce. However, I substituted the eggplant with green and yellow zucchini since I have them in my fridge. I roasted the zucchini instead of deep frying. On his tray my husband also found Chawanmushi with shrimps, pickled cucumbers served with rice and salted salmon soaked in ocha for dinner. Needless to say it is simply delish!

    Thank you for sharing some really amazing recipes. Looking forward to try more of your recipe.

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    • Hi Lily! Your feedback and comment made me really happy! Thank you so much for trying all these recipes. I’m so happy to hear you’ve been enjoying cooking and eating Japanese food at home. Thank you again for writing! 🙂

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  76. Debbie Sakamoto

    My husband loves eggplant. I made this recipe as an entree for dinner this evening, along with Yaki Nasu. This is the first time I’ve ever cooked with shiso, and my goodness, as soon as I started the chiffonade, I was completely overwhelmed with the HEAVENLY scent of the shiso. This dish was fabulous, and you are so right: the konbucha really truly does add that extra umami-ness. Thank you so much for your recipe, and your blog! P.S. I should also let you know that I have become a total fan of shungiku, which I had never heard of prior to your sukiyaki recipe. It MAKES the sukiyaki. But I have a hard time finding it locally in Hawaii; it is not always available. So in my yard, I just started a Japanese greens garden. I planted shungiku, red and green shiso, komatsuna, mitsuba, mizuna, and negi. I hope it all grows well. Had it not been for your blog, I would never have dreamed of planting these things.

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    • Hi Debbie! I can imagine eating eggplant as main course with you two. 🙂 I LOVE eggplant too even though I didn’t like it growing up. So happy to hear you tried kombu-cha. You can use it as salt. It’s basically kombu essense so it really brings wonderful flavors. It’s too bad most people can’t use it, so I rarely share recipes with this type of ingredients anymore (or else I get too many emails asking for substitute haha). And shiso… ohhh it’s my favorite!!! Search “Shiso” on my blog – I have shared some recipes using shiso until many people said they can’t find it… and that’s the main flavor for the recipe… and can’t really sub… 😀

      Yeah shungiku is wonderful in all types of nabe recipes. Napa and shungiku are the main veggies for hot pot (even for Chinese hot pot too).

      And your garden!!!!!!!!! Wow… I want to live right next door!!!! This is awesome. I’m so happy that you are enjoying Japanese greens. Thank you for making my day! 🙂

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  77. Gwen

    I swill start looking for Shiso but my resources are fairly limited. Even thou I live near a huge city most of the Asian supply stores are on the far side to where I am. Soo…. after trying to read up on Shiso – do you think it would sort of compliment the eggplant if I were to use a light mix of basil with mint and a filler of flat-leaf parsley?

    I also wanted to compliment you on your blog. I’ve only just found you and have done nothing but read, read, copy, copy, print, print your recipes! Thank you so much for this amazing compilation of tempting foods!

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    • Hello Gwen! Shiso is hard to find unless you go to a Japanese grocery store, as other Asian cuisines don’t use this Japanese herb. I’m sure other herbs work BUT the flavor of shiso is so distinctly unique… there’s nothing like that. I really wish this herb will be easily accessible in the future!

      Thank you so much for your kind words. I’m so happy you found some recipes you’d like to try from my site. Hope you enjoy them. 🙂

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    • Hi Anni! Awesome! Thanks so much for trying this recipe (especially it’s so old…). I’m happy you enjoyed it. Thank you for your kind feedback. 🙂

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