As much as I love my eggplants, I know it’s a love it or hate it kind of vegetable! My family’s preference is split down the middle, so I don’t get to work with it as much as I’d like to. But when I do make it, my favorite way to prepare them is with this Japanese Roasted Eggplants with Soy Glaze – Yakinasu recipe!
Yakinasu, which literally translates to roasted eggplant, is the traditional Japanese way to prepare eggplants. Just like the name suggests, you roast the eggplants and brush them with a sweet soy glaze topped with some Bonito Flakes! It’s light, delicate, brimming with uammi and most importantly, delish!
For those that aren’t familiar with Japanese eggplants, they’re much smaller compared to their Italian counterpart and the meat is much softer. But just like their big brother, it’s packed with dietary fiber, vitamin C as well as nasunin antioxidants!
So if you’re a fan of eggplants, or not sure how you feel about them, give this recipe a try! Like my mom used to say, you never know until you try it!
We start this recipe by first making the umami glaze soy sauce which consists of Swerve/Monkfruit, Bonito Flakes, Soy Sauce, Japanese sake.
Once that’s made, we move onto roasting the eggplants under direct stove-top heat. Once it’s roasted, we dunk them in water, peel off the skin and sprinkle some toppings on and drizzle the sauce. Simple as that and you’ll be enjoying yourself some yakinasu!
For this one, the special ingredients you will need are Swerve/Monkfruit, Bonito Flakes, Soy Sauce, Japanese sake (can replace with Dry Sherry) and Japanese eggplants (baby eggplants might work as well). You can pick up everything between a local Asian supermarket and Amazon.
Now, let’s get started!
Prepping Time 5M
Cook Time 10M
Total Time 15M
Net Carb/Serv ~2g
Servings 2
Ingredients
- 2 Japanese Eggplants
- 2 tbsp Bonito Flakes
- 2 tbsp Soy Sauce
- 1 tbsp Japanese Sake
- 1 tsp Swerve/Monkfruit
- 1 tbsp Bonito Flakes (topping)
- 1/2 Stalk of Green Onions (topping)
Directions
1) Gather all the ingredients.
2) In a stove top pot, add 2 tbsp Bonito Flakes, Soy Sauce, Japanese sake and Swerve/Monkfruit. Bring to boil on high heat. Once boiling, remove from heat and let it steep for at least 5 minutes. After 5 minutes of steeping, strain Bonito Flakes making sure to push out all excess liquid from Bonito Flakes with a ladle or spoon. Set sauce aside.
3) Make 3 vertical scores on the eggplant (top to bottom). This will help you peel the skin off the eggplants later.
4) Finely slice green onions and set aside.
5) On a stove-top or BBQ, set heat to medium-low and place eggplants on the grill. Roast each side for about 1.5 – 2 minutes or until the eggplant skin looks wrinkly. Entire eggplant should take 7-8 minutes.
6) In the meantime, prepare a bowl with cold water and set aside.
7) After eggplants are done roasting, dip the entire eggplant in the cold water for a couple of seconds and set aside. Note – the eggplants will be hot, so handle with caution!
8) Make sure eggplants are cool enough to touch and then cut off the top section of the eggplants. Gently peel off the skin using your hands (skin should peel off easily) and transfer to a serving plate.
9) Top with a pinch of Bonito Flakes, green onions and drizzle of soy glaze. Enjoy warm!
Hope you enjoy your low-carb/keto Japanese Roasted Eggplants with Soy Glaze – Yakinasu
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Japanese Roasted Eggplants with Soy Glaze - Yakinasu
Ingredients
- 2 Whole Japanese Eggplants
- 2 tbsp Bonito Flakes
- 2 tbsp Soy Sauce
- 1 tbsp Japanese Sake
- 1 tsp Swerve/Monkfruit
- 1 tbsp Bonito Flakes topping
- 1/2 Stalk Green Onions topping
Instructions
- Gather all the ingredients.
- In a stove top pot, add 2 tbsp Bonito Flakes, Soy Sauce, Japanese sake and Swerve/Monkfruit. Bring to boil on high heat. Once boiling, remove from heat and let it steep for at least 5 minutes. After 5 minutes of steeping, strain Bonito Flakes making sure to push out all excess liquid from Bonito Flakes with a ladle or spoon. Set sauce aside.
- Make 3 vertical scores on the eggplant (top to bottom). This will help you peel the skin off the eggplants later.
- Finely slice green onions and set aside.
- On a stove-top or BBQ, set heat to medium-low and place eggplants on the grill. Roast each side for about 1.5 - 2 minutes or until the eggplant skin looks wrinkly. Entire eggplant should take 7-8 minutes.
- In the meantime, prepare a bowl with cold water and set aside.
- After eggplants are done roasting, dip the entire eggplant in the cold water for a couple of seconds and set aside. Note - the eggplants will be hot, so handle with caution!
- Make sure eggplants are cool enough to touch and then cut off the top section of the eggplants. Gently peel off the skin using your hands (skin should peel off easiland transfer to a serving plate.
- Top with a pinch of Bonito Flakes, green onions and drizzle of soy glaze. Enjoy warm!
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