Japanese pork and eggplant
About Japanese pork and eggplant
“Japanese pork and eggplant” is a dish of fried pork and eggplant, seasoned with miso. It is a very common dish made at home in Japan. I think it’s popular because it’s easy to make with ingredients that you can buy anywhere and it’s delicious.
It goes very well with rice. The sweet and spicy seasoning based on miso complements the white rice. This recipe is definitely what you want to make during the hot season with loss of appetite. Pork, eggplant, miso. A classic and delicious combination. The melty texture of the eggplant and the rich miso taste go well with pork.
In fact people often eat pork in Japan, as the price is reasonable and the taste is delicious. Pork, which is rich in protein and vitamin Bs, is also good for beauty and recovery from fatigue. Below is a link about pork nutrition and health benefits, so please read it if you like.
Recipe tips
There are many variations in the dishes that are often made. I think there are various arrangements for each family.
I myself make it depending on the ingredients in my fridge and the climate on that day. For example, If I have lots of paprika, I add it to the dish. If it is a warm day, I use red chili and ginger etc.
In this recipe, I use red chili pepper, but it is also delicious to add or replace it with finely chopped garlic and ginger. Also, regarding miso paste, use your favorite miso, such as white miso or red miso. However, the amount of salt varies considerably depending on the miso (in general red one contains more salt than white one), so use less amount at first, check the taste, and add if necessary.
As for pork, If you can get thinly sliced pork, I recommend thinly sliced pork because it cooks quickly. Please choose your favorite pork part. Pork belly will have a rich finish.
Japanese pork and eggplant
Equipment
- a frying pan with a lid &. one bowl
Ingredients
- 350 gram Pork (if possible thinly sliced, cut into bite-size)
- 1.5 tablespoon Japanese sake or Chinese rice wine or sherry
- 1.5 tablespoon Cornstarch
- 1.5 tablespoon Vegetable oil
- 600 gram Eggplants
- 1/2 Red chili pepper (remove seeds and cut into thin strips)
- 3 tablespoon Miso paste
- 3 tablespoon Mirin
- 3 tablespoon Japanese sake or Chinese rice wine or sherry
- 1.5 tablespoon Sugar
- 1.5 tablespoon Japanese soy sauce
- 30~40 gram Green onion (optional)
- 1/2 teaspoon Sesame seeds (optional)
Instructions
- Put pork in a bowl, add sake and cornstarch, and mix well. Leave it for 5 minutes.If you use green onion, wash the green onion and cut off the root and thinly slice.
- Put miso paste, mirin, Japanese sake, sugar, Japanese soy sauce in a bowl, and mix well.
- Put oil in a frying pan, heat over medium heat, add pork and fry on both sides.
- Cut off the calyx and peel the eggplant vertically in about 3 -4 places with a peeler, and cut into bite-size.
- Add eggplant and red pepper, mix briefly, cover and cook over low medium heat for about 10~15 minutes or until eggplant becomes soft. Stir several times during cooking.
- Add the combined seasonings, mix and stir-fry for 2-3 minutes. Serve on a plate and sprinkle with sesame seeds and green onions.
Notes
It’s easy to make and delicious, so try making it in the season when eggplants are abundant. I’ll put a link to the recipe using eggplant below, so please try it if you like.
Thanks for reading and Bon Appetit!
