July 4, 2012

Nasu Miso/ナス味噌

Ingredients:
10 eggplants
10+ shiso leaves (or ginger)

2 tbsp oil

Miso
Mirin
Sugar

Cut eggplants into your favorite shapes.
材料:
ナス 10個
シソの葉 10枚以上(または生姜)

油 大さじ2

味噌
みりん
砂糖

ナスを好きな形に切ります。


I cut mine in half lengthwise first and then cut one half diagonally.
私はまず縦に半分に切り、半分を斜めに切ります。

Soak in water for a few minutes to remove "aku" (harshness).
水に数分漬け、アクを取ります。


Cut shiso leaves into small pieces, soak in water for a few minutes to remove "aku", and squeeze.
シソの葉を細かく切り、水に数分漬け、アクを取り、絞ります。


First, stir-fry eggplants in oil until soft.  The amount of oil should be relatively large because the eggplants soak up oil.  Then, add shiso leaves and seasonings.
まず、ナスを油で柔らかくなるまで炒めます。ナスが油を吸うので、油の量は比較的多めにします。次に、シソの葉と調味料を入れます。

I can't specify the exact amounts of the seasonings.
調味料の正確な量は指示できません。


Roughly 50-60 ml miso, 30 ml mirin, and 2 tsp sugar.
大雑把に言って、味噌5060 ml、みりん30 ml、砂糖小さじ2程度です。

Stir-fry for another few minutes.
もう数分炒めます。

Nasu miso is an absolute favorite of my wife's.
ナス味噌は妻の大好物です。



I also made inari zushi, using leftover rice.  Why did I make inari zushi?  Because I had just a lot of leftover rice in the freezer and I wanted to use it up.
残りご飯で稲荷寿司も作りました。何で稲荷寿司を作ったかって?冷凍庫に残りご飯がいっぱいあって、使い切りたかったんで! 






8 comments:

Sissi said...

I love aubergine and miso combination. I think they are made for each other. Really. Shiso seems so right here too. No wonder your wife loves this dish!
Whenever I fry aubergine I try to fry-grill it because as you say it absorbs huge amounts of oil. Of course the taste is not as good, but I can enjoy it this way quite often.

Hiroyuki said...

Sissi: Here is a version with ginger:
http://hiro-shio.blogspot.jp/2008/07/nasu-miso.html
My wife says she likes both versions.
I am probably one of the very few Japanese who don't care for eggplants!

muskratbyte said...

I'm going to try this combination the next time I have eggplant.

Fräulein Trude said...

I cooked Nasu Miso today. Delicious, thanks! I skipped the soaking in water because our eggplants have lost their harshness and bitter taste a long time ago (the more "wild and original" tasting eggplants are avaible in asia stores only). I just bought our usual big and mild variety - it looks as our eggplants are kind of doubled in size. Using a non stick pan I took only a little oil - just for roasting. It may taste a little different using more oil but I have to get rid of a few pounds...

Sissi said...

Hiroyuki, thank you for the link.
I know many Europeans who hate aubergines (apart from those from Southern Europe who use them a lot). It's this kind of vegetable I wouldn't serve if I didn't know the guest's preferences. In Japan you seem to be an exception indeed ;-)
Just like Kiki says, I don't remember last time aubergines required soaking... maybe when I was a small child. Now the varieties they cultivate are ll modified I think.
Apart from miso I also love grilled cashew nuts sprinkled over stir-fried aubergines.

Hiroyuki said...

muskratbyte: I hope you like it!

Kiki: Part of the reason for the soaking is to prevent sliced eggplants from discoloration. I wonder if European varieties do not discolor.
The situation is similar in Japan, too. Many vegetables have lost their original characters because people prefer "sweet" vegetables.

Sissi: Cashew nuts?! That sounds good. I'd like to have the cashew nuts only and let my wife have all the eggplants!

Sissi said...

Horoyuki, the dish I have posted here http://www.withaglass.com/?p=7890 is one of the most frequent stir-fried quick dishes I make. Sometimes with mushrooms (mushrooms and aubergine are excellent in my opinion) but often just with aubergine/eggplant and chicken and cashew nuts.

Hiroyuki said...

Sissi: Thanks for the link. A great combination of ingredients. I'd like to have them all,... except eggplants (laugh).