Soy-Glazed Eggplant Donburi

Name: Donburi Terong Berlapis Kedelai
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 20 min
Yield: 2 porsi
Cuisine: Indonesian
Ingredients: 2 Japanese or Chinese eggplants; ½ tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt ((for salting the eggplant; plus more, if needed)); 10 shiso leaves (perilla/ooba) ((or use 1 green onion)); 1 tsp ginger ((grated, with juice; from 1-inch, 2.5-cm knob)); 2 Tbsp potato starch or cornstarch; 4 Tbsp neutral oil ((divided)); 4 Tbsp mirin; 2 Tbsp soy sauce ((or use gluten-free soy sauce for GF)); 2 servings cooked Japanese short-grain rice ((typically 1⅔ cups (250 g) per donburi serving)); ½ tsp toasted white sesame seeds

Want an easy, one-pan meal that's ready in 20 minutes? Try my delicious Soy-Glazed Eggplant Donburi with meaty eggplant seared until golden brown, coated in a sweet-salty sauce, and serve over hot rice. It's a satisfying Japanese vegan rice bowl that deserves a spot at your table. {gluten-

⏱️ 20 min 🔪 Prep: 10 min 🔥 Cook: 10 min 📊 Easy ⭐ 4.7 (241) 👁️ 3 views

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Foto: Just One Cookbook

Ingredients

2 servings

2 Japanese or Chinese eggplants
½ tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt ((for salting the eggplant; plus more, if needed))
10 shiso leaves (perilla/ooba) ((or use 1 green onion))
1 tsp ginger ((grated, with juice; from 1-inch, 2.5-cm knob))
2 Tbsp potato starch or cornstarch
4 Tbsp neutral oil ((divided))
4 Tbsp mirin
2 Tbsp soy sauce ((or use gluten-free soy sauce for GF))
2 servings cooked Japanese short-grain rice ((typically 1⅔ cups (250 g) per donburi serving))
½ tsp toasted white sesame seeds

Steps

Before You Start: Gather all the ingredients. For the steamed rice, please note that 1½ cups (300 g, 2 rice cooker cups) of uncooked Japanese short-grain rice yield 4⅓ cups (660 g) of cooked rice, enough for 2 donburi servings (3⅓ cups, 500 g). See how to cook short-grain rice with a rice cooker, pot over the stove, Instant Pot, or donabe.
Slice 2 Japanese or Chinese eggplants lengthwise into ¼-inch slices. Then, sprinkle with ½ tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt. Set aside for 15 minutes, then wipe off the moisture with a paper towel.
Rinse 10 shiso leaves (perilla/ooba) and pat dry with a paper towel. Cut off and discard the stems.
Roll up the shiso leaves and cut them into chiffonade strips.
Peel the ginger skin and grate the ginger (I use a ceramic grater). Then, measure 1 tsp ginger (grated, with juice) and set aside.
Put 2 Tbsp potato starch or cornstarch in a small tray. Then, thinly coat both sides of the eggplant slices with the potato starch.
Heat a frying pan over medium heat. When the pan is hot, add 2 Tbsp of the 4 Tbsp neutral oil and distribute it in the pan. Then, add the eggplant slices in a single layer. Cook until the bottom side is golden brown, about 3–4 minutes. Until then, do not touch the eggplants in order to achieve a nice sear.
When the bottom side is nicely seared, drizzle another 2 Tbsp of the oil on top of the eggplant and flip the slices to cook the other side for an additional 3–4 minutes.
Once the second side is cooked to a golden brown color, reduce the heat to medium low. Add 4 Tbsp mirin, 2 Tbsp soy sauce, and grated ginger.
Bring it back to a simmer and spoon the sauce over the eggplant a few times. If the sauce thickens too fast (due to the potato starch), add 1 Tbsp water at a time to loosen it a bit. Remove from the heat when the eggplant is well-coated with the sauce.
In individual donburi bowls (a bit bigger than rice bowls), divide the 2 servings cooked Japanese short-grain rice and drizzle some sauce on top of the rice.
Then, place the eggplant slices on top. For presentation, I overlap each slice slightly. Garnish on top with ½ tsp toasted white sesame seeds and shiso leaves. Serve immediately.
You can keep the leftovers in an airtight container and keep them for 3 days in the refrigerator or for up to a month in the freezer.