#miso dengaku

[shoku-and-awe]

茄子田楽 // EGGPLANT DENGAKU A classic Japanese dish that’s really a favorite of mine. I hadn’t seen it in quite this form before, but the dengaku is a sweet miso sauce and it’s delicious on grilled eggplant, tofu, konnyaku, and—it turns out—bell peppers! 

[tabesugi]

[dekitateyo]

Miso Dengaku

[味噌田楽]

A delicious and classic sauce using only three ingredients. It tastes nicely with almost anything!

Dating from before the Edo Period, Miso Dengaku is one very traditional washoku dish. The name dengaku comes from a traditional Japanese performance art - it is said that the shape of skewers on the ground looks like the formation of dengaku performers, who would be often walking on stilts.

The miso dengaku sauce is a (usually) vegan sauce with very strong flavors that goes well with almost any ingredient. Today’s recipe pictures features nasu dengaku - but you may use it as the typical tofu skewers, konnyaku and many other ideas. Be creative!

Recipe

4tbsp of miso

4tbsp of mirin

4tbsp of sugar

Steps

Dissolve the sugar and the miso in the mirin.

Put the mixture on medium heat, stirring constantly.

When the mixture starts thickening turn off the heat.

Serve it.

Tips

If you overcook the sauce it might get too thick. In this case, add a bit of water (or mirin) and put on low heat to dissolve it again.

This can be used as sauce for dipping or as a glaze for oven dishes.

Red miso and yellow miso yields differents types of dengaku. I like to use red miso dengaku milder taste ingredients and yellow miso for meat and stronger ingredients.

You can also add a bit of aromatics for more complexity.

[justfoodsingeneral]

Miso Dengaku (Tofu, Eggplant, Daikon & Konnyaku) 味噌田楽

“Slathered in sweet & savory miso glaze, Miso Dengaku with tofu, eggplant, daikon, or konnyaku has been enjoyed in Japan since 1500’s.”

[tabesugi]