I’ve loved eggplants since the first time I tried them. When I found out that many of my friends didn’t like eggplant, I was shocked. They say it’s the texture and the taste that drives them away, but when they tried my mom’s way of cooking eggplant, they changed their minds right away! I’ll never get tired of saying this, but my mom is an amazing cook and has always inspired others to eat out of their comfort zones and try new cooking methods. Of all the ways she cooked eggplants for us as a kid, my favourite will always be steaming and glazing with a delicous sauce.
In this recipe, we are steaming eggplant and brushing with a Maple-Miso glaze, which contains the following:
- Miso paste
- Pure maple syrup
- Soy Sauce
- Garlic
- Water
- Chili powder if you like some spice
After steaming and glazing the eggplant, we’re also going to bake the eggplant slices to make it more flavourful!
So why do I like this recipe? Why is it so addicting to eat?
- The eggplant can be easily cooked using the steaming method
- The glaze has a hint of sweetness from the maple syrup, which balances out the saltiness of the soy sauce and the miso paste
- Eggplants are great at absorbing flavour, so every bite you take will have a delicious taste
- Lastly, this recipe doesn’t require many ingredients and the only things you need to prepare/ cut up is the eggplant, garlic clove and green onion!
You can serve the glazed eggplant with rice, or have it as a side dish that you can share, but either way, you’ll want to try this mouthwatering recipe asap! Let’s get cooking!
Comment down below if you make this recipe or if you have any questions. 🙂
Maple-Miso Glazed Eggplant
Ingredients
- 2 cup rice of choice, (white, multigrain, brown, etc.)
- 2 cups cold water, may need more for multigrain rice
- 1 large chinese eggplant
Maple-Miso Glaze:
- ½ tbsp miso paste
- ½ tbsp maple syrup
- ½ tbsp soy sauce
- ½ clove garlice, finely minced, or ½ tsp granulated garlic
- ¼ tsp cold water
- ¼ tsp chili powder, optional
Garnish:
- 1 green onion,chopped
- Sesame seeds, black or white or mix of both!
Instructions
- Wash and cook the rice using a rice cooker. If you’re using the stove, I would recommend searching how to cook rice on the stove.
- Cut off the end of the eggplant and slice it in half lengthwise. Then, slice each piece in half lengthwise again. Now you have 4 pieces of eggplant.
- Slice each piece diagonally both ways to create a grid-like pattern. Be sure to only slice halfway through the piece as we want the eggplant to be intact. Transfer to a plate that can fit in your steamer.
- Next, we’re going to steam the eggplant slices. You will need a steamer or a double broiler for this. Fill the bottom pot with about 2 inches of cold water. Place the plate of eggplant on the second layer and cover with a lid. Turn the stove to high heat.
- When steam starts coming out from the lid, set a timer for 15mins and turn the stove to medium-high. Once the timer is up, remove the lid and gently poke an eggplant slice to check if it is soft. If not, add another 5mins. Remove from the heat and take off the lid for ventilation. Allow the eggplant to cool for 5mins.
- Meanwhile, make the glaze: combine the miso paste, maple syrup, soy sauce, garlic, water and chili powder (if you're using) into a small bowl. whisk to combine.
- Transfer the cooked eggplant onto a baking sheet. Brush with the glaze and bake for 10mins at 400ºF.
- Serve with the cooked rice, green onion and sesame seeds!
Notes
- When steaming the eggplant, try not to remove the lid as it will allow the steam to escape and the steam is what’s cooking the eggplant.
- If you’re unfamiliar with the cooking method of steaming, I recommend doing some research and learn the ins and outs of how steaming works. Generally, you’re cooking food with high pressure steam that comes from the 2 inches of water in the bottom pan.
- If the miso paste you’re using is stubborn and won’t dissolve with the rest of the ingredients, you can microwave at 10 second intervals until the desired texture is achieved.
- Baking the eggplant with the glaze will allow the flavours to get absorbed and it will slightly brown the outside of the eggplant. If you prefer to not bake the eggplant slices, that’s alright because the eggplant is already cooked.
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