Maple and Miso Roasted Aubergines

This recipe for Maple and Miso Roasted Aubergines is packed full of flavour. Find out just how easy it is to make below.

Celebrating the aubergine

This Maple and Miso Roasted Aubergines recipe is heavily inspired by my time in Japan. If you know where to look, there is a huge amount of delicious vegetarian and vegan food which is often super simple. When we visited on small, restaurant in Kyoto I met an inspiring chef who used no more than 3 recipes in each dish. (Even including garnish!) This recipe is a celebration of aubergine (or eggplant). And, whilst I have used more than 3 ingredients, I have tried to keep it as simple as possible.

To bring out the best in my aubergines I chose to slow roast them. By cooking them in this way they end up with this deep, umami flavour and a wonderful silky soft texture. To enhance this I brush the flesh of the aubergine with a sweet and salty marinade made with soy sauce, maple syrup and red miso. As they aubergines roast the flavour seeps into the soft flesh of the aubergine and the maple syrup helps to create a shiny, slightly sticky glaze on the surface.

It's a super simple recipe that requires next to know preparation so you can easily serve it up as a delicious, healthy, mid-week meal. You can serve it with rice, stir fried greens, or both!

Making a miso-maple glaze

Although roasting the aubergines creates a huge amount of flavour, what really makes this dish is the miso maple glaze. Keeping with the theme of simplicity and letting flavours shine, we make the glaze by whisking together just 4 ingredients: sesame oil, red miso paste, soy sauce and maple syrup. It's the perfect mix of sweet, salty and umami. Hopefully these ingredients aren't unfamiliar to you. But, just in case, let's take a quick look at miso.

What is miso?

Miso means "fermented beans" in Japanese. It is a seasoning produced by fermenting soybeans with salt and kōji and sometimes rice, barley, seaweed, or other ingredients to create a super-savoury flavour bomb which adds real depth of flavour to whatever you put it in.

How is miso made?

The first step to making miso is to ferment the soy beans. This can take from weeks to years: the longer the fermentation period, the more intense it will taste. Other ingredients are added whilst the soy beans are fermenting to adjust the flavour.

What is the difference between white miso paste and red miso paste?

I've seen white, yellow, red, brown and even black miso available to buy. But, in the UK white and red miso paste seem to be the most common.

White Miso is made from soybeans that have been fermented with rice. It has a light, mellow flavour that matches it's colour. This is the most readily available miso in my experience.

Red Miso is made from soybeans that have been fermented with barley or other grains. It usually has a higher percentage of soybeans than white miso and has been fermented for longer. Unsurprisingly, red miso gets it's name from it's reddish brown colour. It also has a much stronger flavour than white miso and is perfect for rich soups and glazes.

What else can I make with miso paste?

Although I don't doubt you will want to make these Maple and Miso Roasted Aubergines over and over again, here are some other ideas for using miso paste:

• Add to soups and stews.
• Use to flavour ramen broth.
• Add to marinades and glazes for vegetables, tofu, fish and meat.
• Stir into stir fry sauces.
• Whisk into salad dressings.
• Add to butter and mayonnaise.

The recipe

More aubergine recipes

If you love aubergines as much as I do then why not try some of my favourite aubergine recipes.

More recipes inspired by Japanese cuisine

As ever, if you do make this recipe please do leave a rating or a comment so I can know if you enjoyed it! I love hearing from you.