Deep Fried or Grilled Japanese Eggplants

Japanese eggplants, nasubi, are often deep-fried, su-age, or grilled because of their full flavor and beautiful purple color. The flesh and skin are very tender and rarely bitter. Soaking eggplants in water will reduce or remove the bitterness.

• Japanese Eggplants
• Peanut, canola or vegetable oil

For deep-frying, leave Japanese long eggplants whole and cut 3-4 slits through the skin and for Japanese round eggplants cut in half. Then deep fry until the center of the eggplant is soft.

For grilling, leave Japanese long eggplants whole and brush the eggplant with oil and poke a few holes through the skin. Put on a grill for about 15 minutes. Turn eggplants so they will cook evenly. If the skin gets charred, place the eggplants in cold water and peel off the charred skin.

Dip the cooked eggplants as you are eating them into the Ponsu sauce with grated daikon.

Seeds for this recipe:
Japanese Long and Round Eggplants