Go Back
–+ servings
A Japanese white plate containing ginger pork rolls with eggplant garnished with shiso leaves on top.
4.81 from 46 votes

Ginger Pork Rolls with Eggplant

Perfectly juicy and savory Ginger Pork Rolls with Eggplant! It's a favorite in Japanese home-style cooking. You'll love the combination of thinly sliced pork, eggplant, and shiso leaves.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Total Time30 minutes
Course: Appetizer, Main Course
Cuisine: Japanese
Keyword: eggplant, ginger, pork, shiso
Servings: 2 (as main, 3 as side dish)
Calories: 304kcal
Author: Namiko Hirasawa Chen

Ingredients

For the Seasonings

  • ½ tsp ginger (grated, with juice; from a 1-inch, 2.5-cm knob)
  • 2 Tbsp soy sauce
  • 2 Tbsp mirin
  • 1 Tbsp sake (or water)
  • 1 tsp sugar

For Cooking

For the Garnish

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • Gather all the ingredients.
    Ginger Pork Rolls with Eggplant Ingredients
  • Grate the ginger and measure ½ tsp ginger (grated, with juice).
    Ginger Pork Rolls with Eggplant 7
  • In a small bowl, combine all the ingredients for the sauce: 2 Tbsp soy sauce, 2 Tbsp mirin, 1 Tbsp sake, 1 tsp sugar, and the grated ginger.
    Ginger Pork Rolls with Eggplant 8
  • Peel 2 Japanese eggplants with a peeler and soak the peeled skin in water.
    Ginger Pork Rolls with Eggplant 1
  • Cut the eggplant into 2-inch (5-cm) pieces widthwise, and cut each piece in half.
    Ginger Pork Rolls with Eggplant 2
  • Then, cut each piece into 4 sticks and soak in water for 10 minutes to remove the bitterness and prevent from changing the color.
    Ginger Pork Rolls with Eggplant 3
  • Now cut the eggplant skin into julienne strips and continue to soak in water.
    Ginger Pork Rolls with Eggplant 4
  • Remove any moisture on the eggplant with a paper towel.
    Ginger Pork Rolls with Eggplant 5
  • Wrap 2 eggplant sticks with a thin slice of pork. Continue with the rest of the ½ lb thinly sliced pork loin.
    Ginger Pork Rolls with Eggplant 6
  • Sprinkle half of 2 Tbsp potato starch or cornstarch on the pork rolls and spread over the meat. Then, flip over and spread the remaining potato starch or cornstarch. Remove any excess starch.
    Ginger Pork Rolls with Eggplant 9
  • In a large nonstick frying pan, heat 1 Tbsp toasted sesame oil on medium heat. Add the pork rolls.
    Ginger Pork Rolls with Eggplant 10
  • Cook them until all sides are golden browned.
    Ginger Pork Rolls with Eggplant 11
  • Cover the pan with a lid and cook on medium-low heat, until the eggplant is tender, roughly 2–3 minutes.
    Ginger Pork Rolls with Eggplant 12
  • Add the sauce to the pan.
    Ginger Pork Rolls with Eggplant 13
  • Coat the pork rolls well by rotating them and spooning the sauce over.
    Ginger Pork Rolls with Eggplant 14
  • Serve the pork rolls on a plate and pour the sauce on top.
    Ginger Pork Rolls with Eggplant 15
  • In the same pan (without washing), add the eggplant skin and ½ tsp miso. 
    Ginger Pork Rolls with Eggplant 16
  • Mix well together and cook on medium-low heat until tender, about 2–3 minutes. Place the cooked eggplant skins on top of the pork rolls.  
    Ginger Pork Rolls with Eggplant 17
  • Roll up 4 shiso leaves (perilla/ooba) and cut into chiffonade strips.
    Ginger Pork Rolls with Eggplant 18
  • Garnish the pork rolls with shiso leaves. If you like it spicy, serve with a dab of yuzu kosho (Japanese citrus chili paste). You can put a tiny bit of it on the pork roll and enjoy!
    Ginger Pork Rolls with Eggplant 19

Nutrition

Calories: 304 kcal · Carbohydrates: 20 g · Protein: 29 g · Fat: 9 g · Saturated Fat: 2 g · Trans Fat: 1 g · Cholesterol: 75 mg · Sodium: 775 mg · Potassium: 862 mg · Fiber: 5 g · Sugar: 10 g · Vitamin A: 34 IU · Vitamin C: 4 mg · Calcium: 25 mg · Iron: 1 mg