Japanese Braised Eggplant
Submitted by vina
Japanese braised eggplant stuffed with tempeh, mushrooms, and bell pepper in a sherry-soy-molasses sauce. A hearty vegetarian main served over brown rice.
This vegetarian braised eggplant is a substantial main course. Halved eggplants braise face-down in a sherry, soy sauce, and molasses mixture until the flesh turns silky, then get flipped, hollowed out, and packed with a savory filling of browned tempeh, mushrooms, peppers, and onions before a second bake.
The braising liquid is where all the umami lives. Sherry brings warmth, soy sauce adds salt and depth, and molasses rounds it out with a dark, caramel-like richness. The eggplant soaks that mixture up as it bakes, so by the time you flip it over, the flesh is deeply flavored and spoonable.
Browning the tempeh separately in oil with fennel and cayenne gives it a crispy exterior and a warm, spiced bite that stands up to the soft eggplant. Stir it into the sauteed vegetable filling with a hit of tomato paste and some of that braising liquid for a thick, savory stuffing.
Chef Tips
- Leave the stems on the eggplant halves. They look great on the plate and help hold the shape together
- Mash the braised eggplant pulp gently and push it to the sides. You want a pocket for the filling, not a completely empty shell
- Stir the tempeh frequently while browning. It sticks easily and burns fast
- Spoon the pan juices over the finished eggplant before serving. That liquid is concentrated flavor
Variations
- Swap tempeh for crumbled firm tofu for a softer filling texture
- Use tamari instead of soy sauce to make it gluten-free
- Add cubed sweet potato to the filling for more heft and sweetness
Ingredients
Directions
Leaving stems on, cut eggplants in half lengthwise.
Mix together the sherry, soy sauce and molasses.
Oil a baking pan. Pour sherry mixture into pan, place eggplant slices face down, cover tightly and bake at 350℉ (180℃) for 45 minutes.
Brown cubed tempeh, 1/2c of onions, 1 teaspoon fennel and cayenne in oil for 20 minutes.
Stir frequently to avoid burning. In a separate pot, sauté remaining onion, coriander, remaining fennel until onions are transluscent.
Add peppers and mushrooms and sauté 15 to 20 minutes.
With a slotted spoon, lift tempeh and onions from oil and stir into sautéd vegetables.
Stir in tomato paste and 2 tablespoons braising liquid from eggplant pan.
Salt filling.
Turn eggplant halves over, carefully mash pulp and push to sides leaving a hollow centre.
Fill each hollow with ¼ of filling. Cover pan tightly and bake at 350℉ (180℃) for 20 minutes til piping hot.
Serve on bed of rice, pour over some juiice from baking pan and sprinkle with scallions and sesame seeds.
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