Grandma's Recipes 
長野県 
* Photo is for reference 新潟県 🌻 Summer · Autumn
Japanese Grandma's Eggplant Miso Stir-Fry (Nasu Miso Itame)
This miso stir-fry is a summer staple from Niigata, where eggplant is at its peak from summer through autumn. Grandma's secret? Use plenty of oil so the eggplant becomes silky and tender, then coat everything in a sweet-savory miso glaze.
🧂 Ingredients
servings
* In traditional Japanese grandma cooking, measurements are approximate — think of them as guidelines rather than exact amounts.
| Main Ingredients | |
| Eggplant (Nasu) | 適量 (Cut into large pieces and soak in water) |
| Green pepper | 適量 |
| Pork, thinly sliced | 適量 |
| Garlic | 適量 |
| Seasonings | |
| Miso | a heaping tablespoon or so |
| Sugar | a bit more if you like it sweet (Add a bit more if you prefer it sweeter) |
| Mirin (sweet rice wine) | one swirl |
| Sake (cooking rice wine) | one swirl |
| Vegetable oil | be generous (Eggplant absorbs oil, so be generous) |
👩🍳 Instructions
- 1
Cut the eggplant into large pieces and briefly soak in water.
- 2
Add a generous amount of oil to a frying pan and slowly cook the eggplant until tender. Set aside on a plate.
💡 Grandma always said: 'If you skimp on the oil, the eggplant won't taste good.'
- 3
Stir-fry the pork and garlic. Once cooked through, add the green peppers and the reserved eggplant, and heat together.
- 4
Add the miso, sugar, mirin, and sake, coating everything evenly. A slight char on the edges is ideal.
💡 A slight char adds a wonderful aroma.
📖 Memories & Stories
This appeared at dinner every summer. As a child, I sometimes thought 'eggplant again?' but it went so perfectly with rice that it was one of my favorite dishes. I still remember grandma saying 'if you skimp on the oil, the eggplant won't taste good.' The memory of watching her cook in the kitchen and her letting me taste-test the freshly made dish is precious to me.
Source: Learned directly from grandma (Submitted by: 鮭茶漬け)
🍽 Cultural Background
Miso-stir-fried eggplant is a home-style dish found throughout Japan, but Niigata is particularly known for its excellent eggplant. During the peak summer season, it appears frequently on family dinner tables as a beloved everyday staple.
