What are the three types of miso?

White, red, and yellow are the three types of miso that you can buy. White miso is relatively sweet and mellow, while red miso is much stronger and assertive. Yellow miso's flavor is much closer to white miso than to red.

How do you choose a ripe eggplant?

A perfectly ripe eggplant should be mostly firm, but not rock hard. Unlike other produce like tomatoes or peaches, softness is not as much an indicator of ripeness. It's also best to choose an eggplant that's shiny, blemish-free and smooth. Smaller-medium sized eggplants also tend to be less bitter than larger eggplants.

Miso Glazed Eggplant - Crowded Kitchen

Name: Miso Glazed Eggplant
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 55 min
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 large eggplant; 1 tbsp sesame oil, divided; 1 ½ tbsp white miso paste; 2 tsp maple syrup; 1 tsp tamari or soy sauce; 1 tsp sesame oil; 1 tsp sriracha; ½ of a lime, juiced; ¼ tsp garlic powder; ¼ tsp ginger powder; 1 cup dry jasmine rice; 1 14-oz can lite coconut milk; 1 ½ tsp coconut sugar; 1 tsp salt; 1 cup raw cashews; ½ tsp red pepper flakes; ¼ tsp garlic powder; ¼ tsp salt

Description

We serve this miso glazed eggplant over a creamy coconut rice and top it with crunchy chili garlic cashews. It's a super flavorful dinner for any night of the week that just happens to be vegan and gluten free.

Ingredients

Units Scale

Eggplant:

1 large eggplant
1 tbsp sesame oil, divided

Glaze:

1 1/2 tbsp white miso paste
2 tsp maple syrup
1 tsp tamari or soy sauce
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp sriracha
1/2 of a lime, juiced
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp ginger powder

Rice:

1 cup dry jasmine rice
1 14-oz can lite coconut milk
1 1/2 tsp coconut sugar
1 tsp salt

Cashews:

1 cup raw cashews
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp salt

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Instructions

Preheat the oven to 450°F / 230°C. Quarter the eggplant lengthwise, then slice into 1/2 inch slices
Add the sliced eggplant to a colander and sprinkle generously with salt. Toss lightly, then let the eggplant sit for up to 30 minutes. Use a clean dish towel to dab the eggplant dry.
Transfer the eggplant slices to one or two baking sheets (make sure it has enough room to crisp up) and brush with sesame oil. Roast for 10 minutes, then flip the eggplant, brush with more sesame oil, and roast for another 10 minutes (20 minutes total).
Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, bring the rice, coconut milk, salt and coconut sugar to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, and cook, covered, for 18-20 minutes, until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is tender.
Combine the soy sauce, sesame oil, maple syrup, garlic, miso, ginger, sriracha and the juice from half of a lime in a small bowl. Whisk well.
After the eggplant slices have roasted for 20 minutes, remove them from the oven and brush both sides generously with miso glaze.
Turn the oven to broil and return the eggplant to the oven for 5 minutes. Watch the eggplants carefully, as all broilers differ and burning can happen quickly. They're ready when the glaze is caramelized and crispy, but not burnt.
To finish, make the chili garlic cashews.
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat with ½ tbsp sesame oil. Add the cashews, red pepper flakes, garlic powder and salt and toast, stirring frequently, until the nuts are browned on most sides (less than 5 minutes). If they’re browning too quickly, turn the heat down to medium. Transfer the nuts to a bowl.
To serve, divide the coconut rice between plates, top with eggplant slices, sprinkle with cashews, scallions and serve with lime wedges on the side.

Notes

Salting the eggplant: be sure to salt the eggplant and wait the full 30 minutes for the liquid to "sweat" out - this process will improve the flavor and the texture of the eggplant.

Don't be afraid to use a little bit of force when patting the eggplant dry. The goal is to remove as much water as possible.

While broiling, carefully monitor the eggplant, as it can burn pretty quickly.

Don't skip the extras: We highly recommend making the coconut rice and the toasted cashews, as they both help to round out the dish!

Storage: store eggplant, rice, and cashews together in an airtight container and enjoy within 2-3 days.

Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Category: Dinner
Method: Oven
Cuisine: American

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1/4 of an eggplant
Calories: 410
Sugar: 8.7 g
Sodium: 796 mg
Fat: 27.2 g
Carbohydrates: 38.1 g
Fiber: 2.8 g
Protein: 7.8 g