japanese eggplant

Kare-kare is a nutty-sweet stew, traditionally made in the Philippines with oxtail, bok choy, string beans and eggplants, simmered with ground peanuts and achuete oil; peanut butter, a modern substitute, lends voluptuousness. This recipe is adapted from Nicole Ponseca and Miguel Trinidad’s forthcoming cookbook “I Am a Filipino” and their restaurant Maharlika in New York, where the dish is always served with rice and bagoong, a fermented seafood paste that brings a depth of flavor akin to aged cheese or steak.

Oxtail Stew in Peanut Sauce (Kare-Kare)

oxtails,

salt and black pepper

vegetable oil

red onions, cut into large dice

celery stalks, cut into large dice

carrot, cut into large dice

thyme sprigs

red wine,

Shaoxing wine

stock,

Japanese eggplants (about 1/2 pound), sliced 3/4-inch thick

garlic,

beans

commercial creamy peanut butter,

soy sauce

Sugar,

achuete (a.k.a. achiote oil

Bagoong (optional)

white rice

Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Season the oxtails well with salt and pepper.

Heat 3 tablespoons vegetable oil over medium to medium-high heat in a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed, ovenproof pot with a lid. Brown the oxtails on all sides then remove them to a plate. (You may need to do this in batches, so as not to crowd the pan.)

Remove all but a tablespoon or so of the fat in the bottom of the pot and reduce the heat to medium. Add the onions, celery and carrot and cook them until they are soft and aromatic, about 3 to 6 minutes.

Stir in the thyme sprigs, letting them just soften, then add the red wine and stir with a wooden spoon or spatula, scraping up any browned bits on the bottom of the pot.

Add the oxtails to the pot with the shaoxing wine and enough stock to fully cover the meat. Cover the pot and let it cook in the oven for 2 1/2 to 3 hours, or until the meat is fork tender but not falling off the bone.

About 15 minutes before the oxtails are done, prepare the vegetables: Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a medium nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the eggplant, season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook another 5 minutes until eggplant is softened, then set it aside.

Prepare the beans: Wipe the skillet clean, increase the heat to medium-high and add 1 tablespoon oil. Add the beans, season with salt and pepper and quickly stir-fry for 3 to 4 minutes, then set aside.

Prepare the bok choy: Add the remaining oil to the pan, cook the bok choy with a pinch of salt until bright green and tender, about 2 minutes, then set aside.

When the oxtails are tender, remove the meat from the liquid in the pot and set it aside on a plate. Strain the fat and any other matter out of the braising liquid and discard it. You should have 5 cups of liquid; if you have less, add additional stock to total 5 cups, then simmer the liquid over medium-high heat until it has reduced by half.

Turn the heat to low, and using a hand blender, mix in the peanut butter and soy sauce and sugar, to taste. Add the achuete oil, blend again and let simmer for 2 minutes to thicken slightly.

Return the meat to the pot and let it cook until heated through, a minute or two. Serve hot with the room temperature vegetables on top, rice and bagoong on the side.

This dish is adapted from a grilled eggplant salad recipe in Jeffrey Alford and Naomi Duguid’s wonderful book "Seductions of Rice" (Artisan, New York). Jasmine rice is an aromatic, soft, long-grain rice widely used in Thailand. The Thai dishes that employ fragrant rice are also well seasoned, so this rice is traditionally cooked without salt. I like to use my panini grill for grilling eggplant. 

Steamed Jasmine Rice With Grilled Eggplant Salad

Thai jasmine rice

Water

Salt

eggplants

canola oil

plum tomato, diced

mint

cilantro

lime juice

Thai fish sauce

sugar

serrano

Place the rice in a bowl, cover with water and swirl the rice around. Drain and repeat this step two or three more times until the water runs clear. Drain, place the rice in a medium-sized, heavy saucepan, and add enough water to cover the rice by a little more than 1/2 inch. (Measure by placing the tip of your index finger on the surface of the rice; the water should come to just below the first joint.) Add salt if desired, and bring to a boil. Allow the water to boil hard for about 15 seconds, then reduce the heat, cover and cook over very low heat for 15 minutes. Do not lift the lid during this time.

Turn off the heat, and leave the lid on the rice. Let stand for five to ten minutes. Remove the lid, and gently turn the rice with a paddle to bring the rice up from the bottom of the pot. Return the lid, and let stand while you prepare the eggplant.

Heat a panini grill to high, or prepare a hot grill. Brush the eggplant slices with canola oil. Grill for three to four minutes in the panini grill (five to eight minutes per side on a regular grill) until the slices are slightly browned and tender all the way through. As each batch is done, remove to a bowl. When all of the eggplant has been grilled, cover the bowl tightly and allow the eggplant to steam and eventually to cool.

Coarsely chop the eggplant, and toss together with the herbs and diced tomato. Mix together the lime juice, fish sauce, sugar and chile. Toss with the eggplant mixture. Allow to sit for 30 minutes to an hour, then taste and adjust seasoning.

Place the rice on a platter or on individual plates, top with the eggplant mixture and serve.

This roasted eggplant was adapted from a recipe from the Phoenix chef Chris Bianco, who regularly showcases Arizona eggplant as an antipasto at his restaurants Pizzeria Bianco and Tratto. But it works just as well with thick sliced conventional eggplant, and tomato sauce or sweet peppers substituted for the heirloom tomato. The succulent roasted eggplant comes together with the comforting flavors of the thyme, garlic and tomato. Serve as a side, or pair with polenta or fresh bread to round out a main course.

Roasted Japanese Eggplant With Crushed Tomato, Pecorino and Thyme

extra-virgin olive oil, divided

Sea salt

black pepper

tomato

garlic, crushed

thyme

pecorino di Fossa (or Parmigiano-Reggiano), shaved

Peel the eggplant and place in a roasting pan or dish. Coat eggplant with 2 tablespoons olive oil, and season well with salt and pepper. Roast until tender and light golden brown, about 25 to 30 minutes.

While the eggplant cooks, hand-crush the tomato in a medium bowl and add garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt, remaining olive oil and thyme sprigs. Stir to combine.

When eggplant is tender and light golden brown, add tomato mixture to the roasting pan, and roast for another 10 minutes.

Scatter with pecorino and roast for about 5 minutes until cheese is melted.

Transfer to a serving dish, including the pan drippings, and serve hot.

Bademjoon, sometimes spelled bademjan, is a quintessential summer dish in Iran, and it was a childhood favorite of mine. Fresh lemon juice and ghooreh, or unripe grapes, lighten the stew and lend a particularly tart punch. (Use fresh or frozen ghooreh if you can find either. You could also use pickled ghooreh, but be sure to rinse them well before using to rid them of excess salt.) Those sharp flavors contrast nicely with the soft, comforting texture of the eggplant and tomatoes, which grow silky as they cook down. This dish is particularly delicious with a piece of crunchy tahdig.

Khoresh-e Bademjoon (Persian Lamb, Eggplant and Tomato Stew)

lamb shoulder,

turmeric

Japanese eggplants (about 2 pounds)

olive oil

yellow onion, thinly sliced

tomatoes (about 2 pounds)

tomato paste

saffron threads

lime juice (from 2 to 4 limes)

unripe grapes (ghooreh)

Polo Ba Tahdig (Persian Rice With Bread Crust),

Mast-o Khiar (see recipe)

Persian liteh or garlic pickles,

herbs

In a large bowl, season lamb with turmeric, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Set aside.

Peel the eggplants but leave the green skin on the stem end intact. Trim the tips of the stems and make an incomplete lengthwise cut in each eggplant from the bottom, leaving both halves attached at the stem. Place eggplants in a colander set inside a large bowl. Sprinkle with salt and let sit for 30 minutes.

In the meantime, set a large Dutch oven or similar pot over medium-high heat. When the pot is hot, add 3 tablespoons oil. When the oil shimmers, add onion and cook, stirring regularly, until softened and browned, 16 to 18 minutes.

Add the meat and cook, turning regularly, until it browns evenly on all sides, 8 to 10 minutes. Add 4 cups water and increase heat to high. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 1 hour.

In the meantime, rinse the eggplants, dry thoroughly and set aside. Remove stems and halve tomatoes through their cores and set aside. Line a baking sheet with two layers of paper towels and set aside.

Set a large frying pan over high heat. When the pan is hot, add 1/4 cup oil and carefully lay eggplants in the pan in a single layer. It’s crucial to leave space between each eggplant for steam to escape, so brown in batches if necessary. Reduce heat to medium-high and cook, turning regularly, until eggplants are browned on all sides, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove browned eggplants to lined baking sheet and allow to drain.

Use the same pan to brown tomatoes, cut-side down, in remaining 2 tablespoons oil for about 5 minutes. Flip and cook tomatoes on skin side until lightly browned, 1 to 2 minutes, then remove to lined baking sheet.

Once the meat has cooked for 1 hour, stir in the tomato paste, saffron and 1/4 cup lime juice. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Carefully arrange the browned eggplants and tomatoes atop the stew and then sprinkle on the young grapes. Allow the stew to come to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer, uncovered, until meat is falling apart and stew is thick and unctuous, about 1 hour. Without jostling the eggplants too much, taste a spoonful or two of the stew. It should be pleasantly tart, so adjust the seasoning with salt and lime juice as needed.

Serve hot, with Persian rice and mast-o khiar, as well as pickles, fresh herbs, scallions and radishes, if desired.

This hearty and flavourful pesto orzo salad is such a crowd pleaser! A nut-free arugula and basil pesto dresses cooked orzo, perfectly roasted vegetables, and chickpeas. So tasty, 10 core ingredients, and just beautiful to look at too!

Pesto Orzo Salad with Roasted Vegetables & Chickpeas

sunflower seeds,

capers

arugula, lightly packed (plus extra for garnish)

basil leaves, lightly packed (plus extra for garnish)

lemon juice

light miso ((I used chickpea))

sea salt and ground black pepper,

eggplant,

zucchini,

bell pepper,

red onion,

cherry tomatoes

orzo pasta

chickpeas

Preheat the oven to 400 F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

Make the pesto. In a food processor fitted with the “S” blade, add the garlic, sunflower seeds, and capers. Pulse a few times to finely chop. Then, to the food processor bowl, add the arugula, basil, lemon juice, miso, salt, and pepper. Pulse the mixture a few times until the greens are finely chopped. Then, with the lid on and the motor running on low, slowly drizzle in the olive oil through the feed tube until you have a smooth paste that’s evenly combined. Check the pesto for seasoning and adjust if necessary. Set aside.

Roast the vegetables. Combine the chopped eggplant, zucchini, bell pepper, red onion, and whole cherry tomatoes on the baking sheet. Drizzle the vegetables with the olive oil and season very generously with salt and pepper. Toss to thoroughly coat all of the vegetables in oil and seasoning. Spread the vegetables out into a single layer and roast in the oven until tender and slightly browned on the edges, about 30 minutes. Check on the vegetables at the halfway point and give them a stir with a spatula. Set aside to cool slightly.

Cook the orzo according to package directions and drain. Add the cooked orzo to a large serving bowl and immediately dress with the pesto. Once all of the pesto is coated, spread it out in the serving bowl. Top the dressed orzo with the roasted vegetables and chickpeas and give it another light toss.

Top the pesto orzo salad with some extra basil, arugula, and toasted sunflower seeds. Serve immediately.

This light side dish is inspired by a more substantial pork, cucumber and garlic dish in Grace Young’s “Stir-Frying to the Sky’s Edge.” I’d never thought about stir-frying cucumber until I saw this recipe. It’s a great idea: the crunchy, watery cucumber contrasts beautifully with the soft eggplant. Make sure to slice the eggplant thinly, or it won’t cook through. This stir-fry cold is also good served cold.

Spicy Stir-Fried Japanese Eggplant and Cucumber

cucumbers

rice vinegar

salt (more

dark sesame oil

ginger

red pepper flakes (to taste)

scallions

Trim off the calyx end of the eggplants. Cut in half lengthwise, then slice thin (about 1/4 inch). Lightly salt, and toss in a colander. Allow to sit for 15 minutes while you prepare the other ingredients. Squeeze out excess water, then dry between sheets of paper towel.

Meanwhile, trim off the ends of the cucumbers. Cut in half lengthwise, then slice on the diagonal into 1/4-inch thick slices.

Combine the rice vinegar, soy sauce, sugar, salt and sesame oil in a small bowl. Place all of the ingredients near your wok or frying pan.

Heat a 14-inch flat-bottomed wok or 12-inch steel skillet over high heat until a drop of water evaporates within a second or two from the surface of the pan. Add the peanut or canola oil to the sides of the pan and tilt the pan to distribute. Add the eggplant. Stir-fry for three to four minutes until cooked through. Add the ginger and red pepper flakes, and stir-fry for 30 seconds. Add the cucumbers and scallions or chives. Stir-fry 30 seconds. Add the soy sauce mixture to the wok, and stir-fry one minute until the cucumber just begins to wilt. Remove from the heat and serve.

Halloumi is a firm, white, brined cheese traditionally made from a mixture of goat’s and sheep’s milk. (Though today, cow’s milk is often used.) Like other low-fat cheeses, it is perfect for grilling. It sears and colors quickly when it hits the hot grill. The interior softens, but the cheese doesn’t melt; it just warms up invitingly.

Grilled Halloumi and Vegetables

halloumi

red peppers

zucchini

eggplant

scallions,

Salt and pepper

thyme mint

sumac (optional)

Prepare a hot grill. Cut halloumi into 8 to 12 slabs, about 1/3- to 1/2-inch thick. Cut peppers into wide pieces, slicing from top to bottom along the natural indentations. Discard seeds. Cut pieces in half crosswise. Slice the zucchini and eggplant on the diagonal, into 1/4- to 1/3-inch-thick rounds.

Season all vegetables with salt and pepper. Brush vegetables and halloumi with olive oil.

Grill vegetables until tender and nicely charred, turning occasionally. If you'd like, use an outdoor grill pan to keep them from slipping through the grate. Scallions will be ready after 3 to 4 minutes. Peppers, zucchini and eggplant take about 10 minutes. Arrange on a platter.

Grill halloumi, turning occasionally, for 2 to 6 minutes, until grill marks appear. When you press on the cheese, it should give but it should not be runny.

Remove cheese to the platter with vegetables and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle cheese and vegetables with herbs and sumac, if you'd like, and serve.

This is the soup that made me like vegetables when I was growing up. You always measure sinigang by sourness, which is so much a part of our cuisine — layers of acid coming from vinegar, fresh citrus, tamarind and unripe fruits. Here, sour is a power move, hitting you all the way at the back of your tongue. Whole serrano chiles bring a low-frequency spicy hum, adding not so much heat as depth. The daikon should be left in big, juicy chunks, so when you bite into them, you get an unexpected touch of coolness in the hot broth.

Sinigang (Tamarind Broth With Pork and Vegetables)

neutral oil,

garlic cloves, crushed

pork shoulder,

fish sauce

serrano chiles

daikon (1 3/4 pounds),

beans,

tomatoes,

baby spinach (about 8 packed cups)

lemon juice (from 2 to 3 lemons)

jasmine rice,

In a large pot, heat the oil over medium-high until shimmering. Add the garlic and cook until toasted, 1 minute. Add the pork, season with 1 1/2 tablespoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, about 4 minutes. Add the tamarind, onion, fish sauce, serrano chiles and 10 cups water, and bring to a boil over high.

Once the mixture comes to a boil, lower the heat to medium, cover and simmer until the pork is softened but not fully tender, about 1 1/2 hours.

Stir in the daikon, cover and continue to simmer until daikon is tender and the pork is yielding, about 30 minutes.

Uncover and discard the chiles. Add the long beans, eggplant, tomatoes and spinach and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes.

Stir in the lemon juice. Serve over rice.

Filipino cooking embraces salt — perhaps the legacy of life in a tropical climate, where, before refrigeration, food had to be preserved. The primary salt in pinkabet, a vegetable stew, is bagoong, a satisfyingly funky paste of fermented shrimp or fish. As with miso, there are many types of bagoong: dry or oily, toasted or raw, bright pink and briny or dark brown and faintly sweet. I like to use the pink variety because of the large formations of salt crystals. Paired with the toasted and caramelized tomato paste, the bagoong achieves a deep, concentrated umami flavor, enough to season all the vegetables.

Pinakbet (Vegetables Stewed in Fermented Shrimp Paste)

garlic cloves, smashed

shrimp

kabocha squash,

salt

okra, ends trimmed

eggplants,

bittermelon, halved lengthwise, seeds removed, then cut into 1/2-inch moons

In a large pot, heat the oil over medium-high until it shimmers. Add the garlic and cook, stirring until softened, about 3 minutes. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring, until caramelized, toasted and darkened, about 2 minutes. Add the bagoong and cook, stirring, until superfragrant and aromatic, about 2 minutes.

Add the tomatoes and stir to deglaze, about 3 minutes. Add the onions, squash, salt and 2 cups water and cook over medium-high, stirring occasionally, until vegetables start to soften and liquid reduces slightly and becomes glossy, about 10 minutes.

Add the okra, long beans, eggplants and bittermelon, and cook over medium-high, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally, until the squash and other vegetables are soft but retain some bite, and long beans are floppy, 15 to 20 minutes.

Serve hot over rice, or set it on a buffet, where it’s equally good served at room temperature.

This vibrant eggplant dish relies heavily on simple pantry staples, but gets its complex flavor from the clever use of garlic: First, you make garlic chips, then you fry eggplant in the remaining garlic-infused oil. Since garlic chips can burn easily, the key here is to combine the garlic and oil in an unheated pan for even cooking. As the oil heats up, the garlic will sizzle rapidly as the moisture cooks off. When it slows down, the garlic slices should be crisp. Be sure to remove the chips just as they begin to turn golden, as they will continue to cook after being removed from the oil. The rest is easy: Sauté the eggplant, create a quick soy sauce glaze, sprinkle with herbs and garlic chips, and serve.

Sweet and Sour Eggplant With Garlic Chips

garlic, very thinly sliced

sunflower oil oil

Kosher salt

brown sugar

rice wine vinegar

red-pepper flakes

cilantro,

basil

Set a small sieve over a heatproof bowl. Combine garlic and oil in a medium skillet and heat over medium-low. Cook garlic until light golden brown and crisp and the bubbles have subsided, 3 to 4 minutes, then quickly strain the garlic chips into the sieve set over the bowl. Transfer the garlic chips to a paper towel-lined plate, season with kosher salt and set aside. Transfer the garlic oil back to the skillet.

Heat the garlic oil over medium-high. Add the eggplant in batches, adding more as they shrink in size and space permits, and cook, stirring occasionally, until cut sides of eggplant are golden-brown and skins are slightly wrinkled, 6 to 8 minutes.

Add the soy sauce, sugar, vinegar and red-pepper flakes and reduce the heat to medium-low. Simmer, tossing the eggplant to coat, until sauce thickens, 1 to 2 minutes. Serve topped with fresh herbs and garlic chips.

Stir-frying Japanese eggplant with lots of garlic, fresh ginger, and soy sauce is one of my favorite Asian dishes. So simple, yet packed with flavor and texture. I am a big fan of the long slender Japanese (also called Chinese) eggplant. They are less bitter and have a slightly sweeter taste than their Italian counterpart, and because they have a thin skin, and sponge-like flesh, they quickly absorb flavors. Plus, there's no need to peel or salt them ahead of time -- a real bonus in my book!

Stir-fried Japanese Eggplant with Garlic and Ginger

cornstarch

Tablespoons peanut or vegetable oil (plus more as needed)

Tablespoons Asian (toasted sesame oil)

garlic (minced)

Tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce (plus more as needed)

Slice the eggplant on the diagonal 3/4 to 1 inch thick, larger pieces cut in half lengthwise. Transfer the eggplant slices to a medium bowl,  sprinkle with the cornstarch, and toss to coat evenly. Heat the oil in a 12-inch skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add just enough eggplant to create a single layer so that no slices overlap. Cook, flipping once, until the eggplant is golden and a bit charred in places, 2-1/2 to 3 minutes total. Transfer the eggplant to a paper-towel-lined rimmed baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining eggplant, adding more oil to the pan as needed.

Wipe the pan clean, then add the sesame oil over low heat. Add the garlic and ginger, and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 20 seconds. Return the eggplant to the pan.  Add the soy sauce, and toss to combine, about 1 minute. Serve topped with the scallion, and season to taste with more soy sauce.

If you love lemony piccata sauce and eggplant, then this easy eggplant piccata is an ideal recipe mash-up for you!

Top 15 japanese eggplant recipes from across the web

The most viewed japanese eggplant recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine

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Oxtail Stew in Peanut Sauce (Kare-K...

Steamed Jasmine Rice With Grilled E...

Roasted Japanese Eggplant With Crus...

Khoresh-e Bademjoon (Persian Lamb, ...

Pesto Orzo Salad with Roasted Veget...

Spicy Stir-Fried Japanese Eggplant ...

Grilled Halloumi and Vegetables

Sinigang (Tamarind Broth With Pork ...

Pinakbet (Vegetables Stewed in Ferm...

Sweet and Sour Eggplant With Garlic...

Stir-fried Japanese Eggplant with G...

Easy Eggplant Piccata

Miso Glazed Japanese Eggplant (Nasu...

Steamed Korean Eggplant (Gaji Namul...

Chicken, Eggplant and Basil Stir-Fr...

Top 15 japanese eggplant recipes from across the web

The most viewed japanese eggplant recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engineic_arrow_forward_48px

Top Tags

Oxtail Stew in Peanut Sauce (Kare-K...

Steamed Jasmine Rice With Grilled E...

Roasted Japanese Eggplant With Crus...

Khoresh-e Bademjoon (Persian Lamb, ...

Pesto Orzo Salad with Roasted Veget...

Spicy Stir-Fried Japanese Eggplant ...

Grilled Halloumi and Vegetables

Sinigang (Tamarind Broth With Pork ...

Pinakbet (Vegetables Stewed in Ferm...

Sweet and Sour Eggplant With Garlic...

Stir-fried Japanese Eggplant with G...

Easy Eggplant Piccata

Miso Glazed Japanese Eggplant (Nasu...

Steamed Korean Eggplant (Gaji Namul...

Chicken, Eggplant and Basil Stir-Fr...

The most viewed japanese eggplant recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine