July 9, 2009

Nasu no Nibitashi/茄子の煮びたし


Nibitashi refers to a dish in which the ingredients are simmered in lightly flavored broth, and I think that "nasu no nibitashi" is a misnomer for this dish because the nasu (eggplants) are deep-fried first, with no coating, and then simply soaked in dashi (not simmered). Anyway, this dish is usually called nasu no nibitashi in Japan.
煮びたしとは、薄味の煮汁で材料を煮た料理のことで、「茄子の煮びたし」という言い方は、この料理には合わないと思います。ナスをまずは素揚げして、それからただ出汁に漬けるだけ(煮ない)だからです。ともかく、日本ではこの料理は通常、茄子の煮びたしと呼ばれています。
My wife first cut each eggplant lengthwise into two halves, and then made diagonal cuts, followed by the second diagonal cuts, vertical to the first. She then deep-fried the eggplants and soaked them in store-bought concentrate men tsuyu (noodle soup) previously diluted with water.
妻はまず茄子を縦に半分に切り、斜めに切れ目を入れ、次にそれとは垂直に斜めの切れ目を入れました。次に、その茄子を素揚げし、出来合いの濃縮の麺つゆ(前もって水で薄める)に漬けました。
I have confessed somewhere that I don't care for eggplants, and this dish is one of the few eggplant dishes that I can eat.
どこかで、私は茄子が好きではないと告白しましたが、この料理は、私が食べられる数少ない茄子料理の一つです。
If you ever want to make this dish yourself, but don't have concentrate men tsuyu, combine dashi, soy sauce, and mirin at a ratio of 5 to 7:1:1.
この料理を作りたいが、濃縮の麺つゆがない場合は、出汁、しょう油、みりんを5~7:1:1の割合で合わせて下さい。

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