Name: How To Make Miso Dengaku At Home (Eggplant, Tofu, Daikon, & Konnyaku)
Prep time: 45 min
Cook time: 70 min
Total time: 115 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Japanese
Ingredients: 3 Tbsp Miso (Use your favorite miso!); 4 Tbsp Sugar; 2 Tbsp Sake; 1 Tbsp Mirin; 1 Medium Eggplant (Japanese, Chinese, or small Globe Eggplant is fine); 1 Package of Tofu (Recommended to use firm tofu); 1/4 Daikon (Japanese radish); 1 Tbsp of rice or 1 tsp of flour; 1 Package of Konnyaku

How To Make Miso Dengaku At Home (Eggplant, Tofu, Daikon, & Konnyaku)-Japanese Taste

Appetizer Side dish Miso Meal-prep friendly Vegetarian Vegan

"Miso dengaku" is a dish that consists of grilled or simmered ingredients such as tofu, konnyaku, eggplant, and daikon, which are topped or dipped into a special miso sauce. Miso dengaku sauce is essentially seasoned miso. Miso paste is seasoned and cooked with Japanese seasonings like mirin and sake, and simmered into a thick sauce. The combination of the rich miso dengaku sauce with simple ingredients like tofu and eggplant makes this a delicious dish. Miso dengaku is mostly popular with adults because it makes a great accompaniment to alcohol.

Around the Eiroku period (1558 - 1570), the combination of grilled and skewered tofu seasoned with miso paste became popular in Japan. The name "dengaku" came from the shape of the skewered tofu in the dish, which resembled the dengaku-hōshi, a man who dances to worship the god of rice fields and prays for a good harvest at the time of rice planting.

When discussing the history of miso dengaku, another popular Japanese dish, "oden" is sure to come up. Oden was actually derived from miso dengaku, as oden used to be eaten with a miso sauce. If you’re curious to learn more about what oden is, or how to make it, then be sure to check our blog.

The sweetness and spiciness of miso dengaku differ depending on the miso used, as well as the region of Japan. For example, yuzu, peppercorn, sesame, or other varieties of miso may be used. The ingredients used for miso dengaku may also change based on the region, but common ones include konnyaku, tofu, eggplant, radish, taro, shiitake mushrooms, fish, and meat.

If you want to make miso dengaku at home, you can use any miso you want to make the sauce and use your favorite ingredients! Today, we will show you how to make the classic miso dengaku sauce as well as how to prepare some commonly served ingredients of miso dengaku, like eggplant, tofu, radish, and konnyaku for this dish.

Overview

Prep time: 45 mins

Cook time: 1hr 10mins

Total time: 1hr 55mins

Total servings: 4

Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients

3 Tbsp Miso (Use your favorite miso!)
4 Tbsp Sugar
2 Tbsp Sake
1 Tbsp Mirin
1 Medium Eggplant (Japanese, Chinese, or small Globe Eggplant is fine)
1 Package of Tofu (Recommended to use firm tofu)
1/4 Daikon (Japanese radish)
1 Tbsp of rice or 1 tsp of flour
1 Package of Konnyaku

Expert's Tip

How To Make Miso Dengaku At Home (Eggplant, Tofu, Daikon, & Konnyaku)

In Japan, there are many varieties of miso, made from different ingredients such as rice, beans, and barley, and they are each prepared in different ways. While there are differences in taste, such as saltiness and sweetness, this is what makes it fun to choose the one that best suits your own taste. However, if you’re not familiar with buying miso, then it may be hard to know where to start.

We recommend our Mixed Miso, which is made from rice, naked barley, soybean (non-GMO), and salt to create a well-balanced miso that can be used in a wide range of dishes, including miso soup and other miso dishes like miso dengaku.

Instructions

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1) Gathering the Ingredients

Gather all of the ingredients together.

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2) Making the Miso Dengaku Sauce

Put the miso paste, sugar, mirin, and sake into a small pot. Mix them well with a spatula before heating the mixture on medium heat. Once the mixture comes to a boil, reduce the heat to low then simmer it for about 7-10 minutes until it turns brown and becomes sticky.

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3) Preparing the Eggplant

Cut the eggplant diagonally at 1 cm intervals. Then, gently score each eggplant in a diamond-shaped pattern. (Be sure not to slice through the eggplant!) This will allow the eggplant to cook more evenly. Grill in a toaster or oven at 230°C (450°F) for 7-10 minutes until cooked through. Top with the miso dengaku sauce

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4) Preparing the Tofu

Wrap the tofu in paper towel, and then place it into a colander. Place a bowl (or another kind of weight) over the tofu, and then place the colander over another bowl. Leave the tofu to drain for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, dry the tofu of any excess water.

Next, slice the tofu into 1.5 cm pieces before pan-frying them in a lightly oiled frying pan. When the tofu becomes slightly browned, after about 3-4 minutes, pan-fry the other side in the same way. (Do not turn the tofu too many times as it will fall apart.) Top with the miso dengaku sauce.

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5) Preparing the Daikon

Cut the daikon into 2-2.5 cm pieces and peel off the outer skin. Next, round the edges of the daikon using the edge of your knife. This will allow the daikon to keep its shape while cooking. Finally, cut an X into the surface of the daikon.

Add 1 tablespoon of rice or 1 teaspoon of flour to a pot of water, bring it to a boil, and boil the daikon for 20-30 minutes. You will know that the daikon is ready when you pierce it with a bamboo skewer and it goes through easily. Top with the miso dengaku sauce.

Tip: Adding rice or flour to the water helps the daikon keep its white color.

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6) Preparing the Konnyaku

Cut the konnyaku into strips that are about 1 cm in thickness. Then, score each piece in a diamond-shaped pattern on one side.

Place the konnyaku in a pot of boiling water and boil for about 5 minutes. Then, top with the miso dengaku sauce.

7) Serving Dengaku Miso

Now it's done! Feel free to eat them while they're still hot and share them with your friends. You can also use this method with your favorite ingredients to create new combinations.

8) Storing the Leftover Miso Dengaku Sauce

The homemade miso dengaku sauce can also be stored in an airtight container and kept in the refrigerator for up to one month. However, if the container is opened and closed frequently, the sauce may change in flavor, so if you make a lot of miso dengaku sauce, it is recommended to divide them into smaller containers for storage.