I just love a side dish that can steal the show, don’t you? Especially if said side dish relies on pantry staples I already have on hand. If you’re craving big, bold flavors with minimal effort, this Miso-Glazed Eggplant might be your new go-to. Made with tender Asian eggplant and coated in a rich glaze of Japanese pantry staple ingredients like miso, mirin, toasted sesame oil, and sake, it’s a savory-sweet delectable dish. Then I amp the flavor up even more with a quick infusion of roasted garlic oil. And the best part? We’re putting the air fryer to work, giving you perfectly caramelized eggplant without the fuss.

Nobu famously has a similar eggplant on their menu that comes with their famously exorbitant price tag, but luckily you will be able to wow your friends at a fraction of the price, no reservations required. So let’s get into it!

This Miso-Glazed Eggplant is going to serve as a delicious reminder of how important a well-stocked pantry is to easily creating flavorful and memorable meals. I always have miso, mirin, sesame seeds, sesame oil and sake on hand, and you should too! They are the building blocks for endless Asian inspired dishes. Soy Glazed Potatoes, Air Fryer Tofu, Shogayaki Pork, and Mom’s Chicken are just some of the recipes you can whip up quickly if you keep heavy hitters like these on hand.

Asian eggplant, also known as Chinese eggplant, is the star of this dish for several reasons. Its tender skin and delicate flavor complement the rich miso glaze beautifully. Unlike the larger globe or Italian eggplants, Asian eggplant has a sweeter taste and a creamier texture, which helps it absorb the savory marinade more effectively. Plus, its elongated shape makes it perfect for slicing into manageable pieces that cook evenly and caramelize perfectly in the air fryer. If you didn’t like eggplant before, hopefully this Miso-Glazed Eggplant will change your mind.

I start making my Miso-Glazed Eggplant by roasting some garlic in oil. This will do double duty; the cloves get added to the miso sauce and then we’ll use the garlic infused oil to air fry the eggplant.

Then I drain out the oil into a small bowl, adding back 2 Tablespoons to the garlic cloves for the sauce.

Once that’s done I start making the miso glaze.

Now all that is left to do is to bath your gorgeously bronzed eggplant in the miso glaze.

My Miso-Glazed Eggplant can be the star of a Meatless Monday meal with some rice to help soak up the addictive sauce. She’s also perfectly welcome as a side dish for everything from Teriyaki Meatballs to Shio Koji Salmon or this Poached Chicken. I know you’re going to love this as much as I do! Leave a reply below and don’t forget to tag us in your pics @funkyasiankitchen, we love hearing from you.

Miso-Glazed Eggplant

★ 5 Stars ☆ ★ 4 Stars ☆ ★ 3 Stars ☆ ★ 2 Stars ☆ ★ 1 Star ☆ No reviews

• Author: Funky Asian Kitchen
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 25 minutes
• Total Time: 35 minutes
• Yield: serves 4
• Category: small plates, sides
• Cuisine: japanese

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Ingredients

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• 2 pounds chinese eggplant (about 4–5 pieces)
• ¼ cup neutral oil
• 12 cloves garlic
• 3 Tablespoons miso
• 2 Tablespoons water
• 2 Tablespoons mirin
• 1 Tablespoon sake
• 1 Tablespoon sugar
• 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil

Garnish:

• 1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds

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Instructions

Make the garlic oil:

1. Put the oil and garlic in a small saucepan over medium low heat and let the garlic gently cook in the oil for 10-12 minutes until a light golden color.
2. Pour the oil off and save it.

Prepare the Eggplant:

1. Add 2 Tablespoons of the garlic oil plus the water, mirin, sake, sugar, sesame oil, and miso to the garlic in the pan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Simmer for 1 minute and then use a stick blender or transfer to a traditional blender and blend until smooth. Set the sauce aside.
2. Wash and trim the eggplant. Cut the eggplant into 1 ½ inch logs. Cut the logs in half lengthwise and then lightly score the eggplant in diagonal slashes. This will help with even cooking. Place the eggplant on an aluminum foil wrapped baking sheet. Pour the oil over the eggplant and season lightly with salt and pepper. Toss to coat and then place the eggplant on the tray skin side up. (You may need to use two trays like me).
3. Air Fry the eggplant at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes until golden brown. (If you use 2 trays, switch the trays a couple times during cooking for even cooking.)
4. Plate the eggplant drizzling with the sauce. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve immediately.

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Notes

*If you do not have an air fryer, you can also use a regular oven. Set the heat to 425 and cook on the middle shelf for about 20 minutes.

Keywords: eggplant, miso, pantry staples, veggie sides, small plates, Japanese

Late August and I’m still reaching for quick and easy, no cook dishes that don’t skimp on flavor. And this Korean Cucumber Salad, known as Oi Muchim, is a favorite. It’s cooling and crunchy, a little spicy, and it has an amazing umami packed dressing. You should have everything in your pantry already and it comes together so quickly. Korean Cucumber Salad is a perfect side to grilled meats and would be really happy to be served as a banchan with Korean BBQ Short Ribs, but to be honest sometimes I just make a big bowl of it for dinner and call it a day. And no one will complain if you do the same.

This cucumber salad is different from cucumber kimchi in that it’s not fermented and is ready in minutes. So if you like cucumber kimchi, give this recipe a try. You’ll get similar flavors with no waiting time, so let’s get into it.

Start by Prepping the Veggies for Korean Cucumber Salad

This is one of those recipes where everyone who makes it tweaks it just a little bit. I like to add carrots to mine for their crunch, sweetness, and color.  And I prefer either English or Persian cucumbers for this as they have fewer seeds and therefore tend to be crunchier. I also like that their skin isn’t waxed. If you can only find cucumbers with waxy skins, I would recommend peeling them.

Once all the veggies are prepped and I pile them all into a mixing bowl:

Korean Cucumber Salad Dressing

This dressing is what takes an otherwise simple little salad to guest worthy masterpiece. Combine sesame seeds and toasted sesame oil (both key ingredients in Korean food) with soy sauce and gochugaru (Korean pepper flakes), plus flavor standbys like garlic and ginger to make rich, toasty, and savory magic. You can use whatever red pepper flakes you have on hand, but gochugaru is worth seeking out for its mild heat and smoky, fruity flavor. Other pepper flakes may be significantly hotter so use accordingly.

Stir until the sugar is dissolved; the dressing will be thick and chunky.

You can make the dressing ahead of time, and prep the veggies earlier in the day as well. Keep them separate until you’re planning to serve as the longer the salad sits the more water logged the veggies will get.

Make this quick little Korean Cucumber Salad tonight and see why it’s something I reach for so often during these sweltering days. Let me know what you think and of course tag us in your pics @funkyasiankitchen, we love hearing from you!

Looking for some more salad inspiration? Check out Avocado Tofu, Cucumber Tomato, or this  Wild Mushroom beauty.

Korean Cucumber Salad

★★★★★ 5 from 2 reviews

• Author: Funky Asian Kitchen
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Total Time: 10 minutes
• Yield: 4 servings 1x
• Category: salads
• Cuisine: Korean

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Ingredients

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• 1 English cucumber or 4 persian cucumbers
• 1 small carrot
• ¼ yellow onion thinly sliced 
• 1 scallion

Dressing:

 

• 1 teaspoon peeled minced ginger
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons Korean hot pepper flakes (gochugaru)
• 2 teaspoons sesame oil
• 2 teaspoons toasted sesame seeds
• 1 teaspoon sugar 

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Instructions

1. Wash and trim the cucumber. Cut the cucumber in half lengthwise and then into ½ inch thick slices on an angle. Put the cucumber into a large bowl. 
2. Wash and peel the carrot. Cut the carrot into thin slices and then stack the carrot and cut across the slices into thin matchsticks. Add the carrot to the cucumber.
3. Thinly slice the scallion, green and white parts, and add to the cucumber. 
4. In a separate bowl, make the sauce by combining the ginger, garlic, soy sauce, hot pepper flakes, toasted sesame oil, sesame seeds, and sugar. Stir well until the sugar is dissolved.
5. Pour the sauce over the vegetables and mix the vegetables well coated.
6. Serve immediately or cover and store in the refrigerator. This cucumber side dish is best eaten within several hours.

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Notes

*Cucumbers put out a lot of liquid. So if you’re planning on making this ahead of time, prep all of the items but keep the cucumbers separate until the last minute. Toss with the sauce when you are about to serve.

Keywords: cucumber, banchan, salad, oi muchim, gochugaru, korean, sesame seeds, vegan, summer, no cook, raw