Japanese dengaku pairs a sweet-savoury miso sauce with ingredients such as aubergine and tofu. Here we choose aubergines and use a home oven. A thin coating is enough: the glaze should season the soft flesh rather than become a thick crust. Since miso is salty, taste before adding any salt.
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Food · International
Nasu dengaku: tender aubergine with a sweet-savoury miso glaze
Soft aubergines and a thin miso glaze in an oven-friendly interpretation of the Japanese preparation.
2026-10-27 · Editorial staff · Estimated reading time: 2 min
Queen of Queens · Food
The recipe
Japan
- Servings
- 4
- Preparation
- 10 min
- Cooking
- 35 min
- Rest / waiting
- 0 min
- Total time
- 45 min
- Estimated calories per serving
- 160 kcal
Difficulty: Easy
Ingredients and quantities
- 2 aubergines, about 800 g
- 50 g light miso
- 25 ml mirin
- 15 g sugar
- 20 g neutral oil
- 2 tbsp water
- 8 g sesame seeds
- 20 g spring onion
Method
- Heat a conventional oven to 200 °C. Halve the aubergines and score the flesh in diamonds without cutting through the skin.
- Brush with oil and roast cut-side up for 25–30 minutes, until the flesh is soft.
- Gently heat miso, mirin, sugar and water for 2 minutes, stirring to prevent burning.
- Spread a thin layer over the aubergines and grill for 2–4 minutes, watching closely. Finish with sesame and spring onion. Serve half an aubergine per person.
Tips and variations
For an alcohol-free adaptation, replace mirin with 20 ml water and 5 g sugar. Rice or tofu can complete the meal but are not included in the calculation.
Allergens
Soy and sesame; some miso contains barley/gluten.
Sources and further reading
- Just One Cookbook — Miso dengaku
- https://www.justonecookbook.com/miso-dengaku/
Calories are estimates per serving and vary with ingredients, brands and actual quantities. Times are approximate; the total includes the stated resting time.
