Asian Grilled Eggplant with Spicy Soy Sesame Sauce
This week on Food Network’s Summer Fest, a group of talented bloggers are featuring farm fresh recipes using Eggplant that’s in season. Each week, recipes using farm fresh produce will be featured on the Food Network website along with recipes by a group of fabulous food bloggers. I love eggplant, especially the Asian varieties that are smaller.
Traditionally, the eggplant is cooked in oil on the stovetop. If you’ve ever cooked eggplant, you know that it sucks up oil like there’s no tomorrow. Even after salting it and letting it sit, eggplant can still soak up a lot of oil when cooked in a pan.
Recently, I found some Japanese eggplant among the fresh produce in my CSA Box, so it was the perfect opportunity to try recreating this Asian eggplant dish, but this time, grilling the eggplant. I prepared the sauce on the stove top and simply spooned it on top of the grilled eggplant. Incredibly good!
Not only is this way of preparing eggplant a winner, but you will also reap the health benefits of eggplant if you try this dish. Did you know that eggplant skin contains a powerful antioxidant called nasunin? Nasunin is supposed to be good for brain health, helping to protect the fats in brain cell membranes (which protect brain cells from free radicals). Eggplant is also an excellent source of fiber and manganese.
So, next time you eat eggplant, leave the skin on and remember that it’s good for your brain.
Be sure to check out the following recipes from all my friends participating in this week’s Summer Fest!
Feed Me Phoebe: Grilled Eggplant Baba Ganoush
Jeanette’s Healthy Living: Asian Grilled Eggplant With Soy-Sesame Sauce
From My Corner of Saratoga: Ratatouille Fresh From the Garden
And Love It Too: Slow-Cooker Paleo Eggplant Parmesan
Big Girls Small Kitchen: Homemade Baba Ganoush
Made by Michelle: Eggplant Zucchini Muffins
Cooking With Elise: Stuffed Eggplant
Virtually Homemade: Layered Ratatouille la Ratatouille
Napa Farmhouse 1885: Roasted Eggplant and Peppers Dip
HGTV Gardens: Garden-to-Table: Eggplant
Thursday Night Dinner: Eggplant Flatbread
Healthy Eats: Going Meatless With Eggplant Devour: Giada’s Rigatoni With Eggplant Puree
Cooking With Books: Sriracha and Honey Eggplant Rice
FN Dish: Eggplant: Champion of the Meat-Free Meal
Asian Grilled Eggplant with Soy Sesame Sauce
Ingredients
Instructions
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I love eggplant so much Jeanette but I hate how it soaks up so much oil. This looks like a great way to enjoy it without all the added fat!
Thanks Alyssa – eggplant does soak oil up doesn’t it – I like it grilled or roasted to help reduce the amount of added fat.
Oh, this looks so good, Jeanette!
YUM that looks incredible. And this is so perfectly timed for me, I just started getting eggplant in my CSA share. I plan to make a simple carbonara sauce with it and all of the amazing tomatoes! I can’t wait. Hopefully I get some japanese eggplant this year too, I wanna make this!
I meant caponata not carbonara 🙂
Thanks Elise and Beth. Beth – don’t you just love belonging to a CSA! Caponata is one of my favorites – haven’t made it in a while, but would love to.
What a great way to get lots of flavor without all of the excess oil that soaks into eggplant. Once again, your CSA box has inspired all of us!
Thanks Lydia – I love grilled eggplant, so I was excited to get some Japanese eggplant in my CSA Box to give this a try.
A great way to enjoy eggplant and so easy too which I always love!
I was just thinking that I wanted to play around a bit more with eggplant and now i’m totally going to try this!
I have about a dozen Japanese eggplant growing in my garden right now, so I am definitely going to be making this soon. I needed some new ideas!
Sylvie, Brian, Kiersten – hope you all enjoy this easy recipe. It’s so much quicker and less messy than the traditional stovetop method of making this eggplant dish.
i love grilling eggplant…the smoky flavor is perfect for this vegetable. your sauce sounds delicious. think i will need to add this to the labor day weekend cooking plans!
i love grilling eggplant…the smoky taste is perfect for this vegetable. your sauce sounds delicious…adding the recipe to my labor day cookout menu….
This looks amazing! I am getting a lot of these eggplants in my garden right now.
Kalyn – thank you! I wish I had your garden – always a treat to see what you’re harvesting.
I can NOT wait to try this!
I love your preparation of this. I will try it. I have been craving eggplant like something terrible. I can’t get enough. I wonder what it is in eggplant (vitamin or nutrient) that my body is needing or wanting?
PS. Your cucumber salad has become a favorite around here. Just thought I’d let you know.
This was truly delicious and super easy. Thank you for the great recipe!
This became a regular dish in our house, it’s so yummy!
I used normal aubergines and it was still really good. My husband ate the whole thing in one lunch!
Thanks for a great recipe
Nora, so glad you and your family enjoy this recipe – thanks for stopping by to let us know!
I want to prepare this in advance- i think it should be ok to grill the eggplant in advance and leave them at room temperature.
What about the sauce? Would this be ok in advance or should I do it hot?
Thank you!
Yes – it should be fine if you make it a little in advance – same with the sauce – you can reheat the sauce if you want to serve the dish somewhat warm