Discover the deliciousness of Japanese eggplants with our best recipes! The fans’ favorites include soy-glazed eggplant rice bowls, mapo eggplant, grilled eggplant with miso glaze, nasu agebitashi, and more.
If I had to name one vegetable that can get me really excited, it has to be the mighty Japanese eggplants! But like many people, I wasn’t into the nightshade until much later as an adult that I’ve grown to savor its many remarkable qualities.
By themselves, Japanese eggplants don’t have much of a taste, but when cooked and seasoned properly, they can soak up almost any flavors. The sturdy yet spongy character also makes it rather one-of-a-kind. The meaty texture makes them a great option for vegan and vegetarian dishes. That’s what I love about cooking with Japanese eggplant. Let’s get to know them today!
What are Japanese Eggplants?
- Japanese eggplants are called nasu (sometimes referred to generically as long Asian eggplants) and they are recognized by their long, slender body with a deep purple shade.
- Thanks to their long shape and thin skin, Japanese eggplants cook much faster and soak up flavors quicker than regular large-sized eggplant. It is also less bitter and has a velvety and almost melt-in-your-mouth texture once cooked. It also doesn’t need much as oil as regular eggplant.
- The best substitute for Japanese eggplant is Chinese eggplant. Both eggplants belong to the same Asian cultivar but the main difference is the Japanese eggplant tends to have a deeper, almost black-purple color. If you can’t find both eggplants, then other small eggplant varieties, like Italian eggplant are your best bets.
- There are many ways to enjoy Japanese eggplants: grill, steam, deep-fry, pan-fry, simmer, etc. Try them in a variety of recipes, including Japanese or other Asian or western-style dishes.
To give you some delicious ideas, we’ve gathered the very best Japanese eggplant recipes that are well tested and loved by our readers. We hope you enjoy them too!
Our Best Japanese Eggplant Recipes
1. Soy-Glazed Eggplant Donburi
This vegetarian rice bowl features crispy pan-seared eggplant slices that are smothered with an amazing sweet soy sauce. The simplicity of the dish puts the spotlight on all that eggplant can offer.
‘This was absolutely delicious. Crunchy, salty, and sweet. It came together very quickly. The best part- it doesn’t require a ton of ingredients that aren’t already in the pantry. Will definitely be making this one again.’ – Mae
2. Ginger Pork Rolls with Eggplant
Similar concept to bacon rollups, this Japanese version calls for thinly sliced pork. The inside is stuffed with eggplant and the rolls are pan-fried until golden brown before coating with a sweet-savory sauce. To add extra zing, top the ginger pork rolls with shiso leaves (or with mint and Thai basil). It’s homey, tasty and goes very well with rice.
‘This is honestly one of—if not —best things I have ever tasted. I followed this recipe closely and it paid off.’ – Kennedy
3. Eggplant Agebitashi (Nasu Agebitashi)
In this recipe, the quality of the eggplant is accentuated by deep frying and then soaked in a light savory broth consists of dashi, mirin, and soy sauce. Known as nasu agebitashi, the unique Japanese cooking method presents eggplant in a new light. Serve this as a side dish to complement your Japanese or Asian meal.
‘I made this for dinner this evening. It was outstanding! The daikon and ginger condiments are amazing.’ – Debbie
4. Mapo Eggplant (Mapo Nasu)
Slightly spicy and incredibly flavorful, this mapo eggplant (mabo nasu) is an adaptation of Chinese food that’s very popular in Japan. Served over hot steamed rice, you’ll have a satisfying weeknight meal!
‘My husband and I love this dish! I have been making it regularly since you first posted it, and we never get tired of it. I do change it up from time to time; depending on what I can find at the Mitsuwa- last night I added in stir-fried negi and thick slices of Shitaki mushrooms. Delicious!’ – Barbara
5. Miso Pork & Eggplant Stir-Fry
Eggplant and pork make a delicious and protein-rich stir fry! The savory miso sauce ties everything together. For a final touch, sprinkle with some chopped scallions and sesame seeds.
‘My 85-year old mother said that it reminded her of the eggplant with miso that her mother made for her when she was a child.’ – Gayle
6. Oyaki (Japanese Stuffed Dumplings with Eggplant)
Fancy a weekend cooking project that will take you to the streets of Japan? Try these Oyaki dumplings, a popular snack in Nagano Prefecture in central Japan. You can use different fillings, but I love the ones stuffed with eggplant. It’s creamy, tender, and bursting with savory flavor.
‘I had never heard of oyaki in my Asian dumpling explorations before. But I’m glad I found it – these are terrific! I whipped up 15 each of the eggplant and kabocha oyaki on short notice for a potluck and wasn’t able to source buckwheat flour or shiso in time. Even so, they were some tasty dumplings.’ – Todd
7. Miso Glazed Eggplant
When in doubt, you can always count on this easy Miso Glazed Eggplant recipe. The eggplants are first glazed with an umami miso mixture and then grilled until crispy on the outside while retaining its creamy texture on the inside. 15 minutes is all you need for a great vegetable side!
‘I really love Japanese culture and food. I make this a lot. It is a fantastic recipe.’ – Lucila
8. Eggplant Parmesan Spaghetti
Determined to convert eggplant skeptics? This Eggplant Parmesan Spaghetti will turn them into an instant fan. The pasta dish combines the deeply flavored tomato meat sauce with crispy panko-crusted eggplant in the most scrumptious and comforting manner.
‘Tried this tonight, and it was delicious! Cheated a little on the sauce, used Rao’s, and added Italian sausage and herbs. Next time, will make it from scratch.’ – Kuulei
9. Eggplant Unagi Donburi
You won’t believe this hearty, savory rice bowl with unagi eel and eggplant can come together in just 30 minutes!
‘Instead of unagi we used mackerel since unagi is really expensive in our country. I Just have to say, this recipe was amazing! So much flavor! This is definitely one to be made on a repeat.’ – Miki
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Best Japanese Eggplant Recipes
Ingredients
Instructions
- Select the Japanese eggplant recipes you want to try from the list above.
- Follow the detailed instruction in each post (substitutions included).
- Make and enjoy the recipes at home!
- Share in the comment below to let us know your favorite. And if you enjoy the recipe(s), please consider giving us a 5-star rating!
I love these eggplant recipe ideas and website in general! Thank you so much for sharing them!!
I am curious if you ever considered making an article discussing Japanese aprons (kappogi)? I have seen them but I never understood why they look different from “typical” aprons
Hi Lisa! Thank you very much for reading Nami’s post and for your kind feedback!
Nami and JOC team are so happy to hear you love eggplant recipes and our website. 🥰
The Kappogi is a smock and has baggy sleeves with gathered cuffs terminating just after the elbow to protect Kimono from stains. The long Kimono sleeves would stay inside and make it easier to move and work in the kitchen, but the typical aprons are for more modern clothes.
We hope this helps!
Hello Ms.Kaniko
Thank you very much for your generosity of sharing your Japanese food recipes. I learned a lot from your tips. Thank you and more power
Hi Pam, Thank you very much for your kind words!
Nami and all of us at JOC are so glad to hear that you’ve been enjoying the recipes and everything else that we share. It means so much to us.
Happy Cooking!
My favorite vegetable. Many thanks for sharing your delicious recipes. And 800+ is overwhelming. I need 10 lifetimes to enjoy it all.
Hi Angel! Thank you very much for reading Nami’s post and trying her recipe!
We hope you enjoy many recipes as much as you like from our website!
Here is something that might be helpful.😀
https://www.justonecookbook.com/recipes/
You can use the recipe filter on the left of this link. Or you can just type a recipe name or ingredient in the search box to find recipes that you would like to try.
Happy browsing and cooking!💞
First off… love your site. One of my first goto sites for Japanese cooking ideas and recipes. I was just looking to jazz up my eggplant options when I came upon your little collection here. I’m familiar with a couple of the recipes, but I will definitely steal a few of your ideas for my own use.
One of my more recent ‘accidental’ discoveries was shallow fried eggplant coated with panko crumbs. I often prepare whitefish fillets this way for kid friendly meals and I was looking around for a vegetarian option. Turns out globe eggplant cut into 7mm slices, dipped in egg and dredged in seasoned panko (I add a little salt and furikake) fries up beautifully using this method. Add a little homemade tokatsu sauce and you get a sweet crunchy batch of goodness.
Again thank you for all you good work.
Aaron
Hi Aaron! Thank you very much for reading Nami’s post and sharing your cooking experience with us!
Fried eggplant coated with Panko sounds delicious!😍 Happy Cooking!