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Marinated Teriyaki Eggplant

Sweet, sticky and salty marinated teriyaki eggplant is a quick and easy dinner recipe. In just 30 minutes you can have yourself a better than take out meal!

Vegan Marinated Teriyaki Eggplant #teriyaki #japanese #vegan #recipe #eggplant #aubergine

Whether you enjoy it as a main or a side it’s sure to satisfy your Japanese food cravings! And if you’ve never had it before, well, you’re in for a treat!

Eggplant (/aubergine) is a great vegetable for marinating, it takes on the flavour really well, in this case the teriyaki sauce.

I love using it in vegan recipes, especially roasted or grilled, it works great as a meat substitute.

Vegan Marinated Teriyaki Eggplant with Rice #vegan #recipe #japanese #teriyaki #eggplant #aubergine

How to make teriyaki eggplant:

To start we are going to make a simple teriyaki sauce, the base ingredients of this are soy sauce, mirin (sweet japanese wine) and brown sugar.

To this we are going to add some garlic and ginger. It’s that simple, and is packed with flavour.

Once the eggplant is cut into small chunks it is left to marinade for 20 minutes, just throw it all in a bowl and you can prep your rice or other accompaniments.

The longer you leave it to marinade the better, but 20 minutes does the job.

You’ll notice the eggplant starts to change colour and turn an orange/brown colour, that’s what you want. Now you’re ready to grill/fry it.

I used my griddle pan for this, it gives it a nice charred brown coating. You could also use a non stick frying pan if you don’t have a griddle pan.

Vegan Marinated Teriyaki Eggplant with Rice #vegan #recipe #japanese #teriyaki #eggplant #aubergine

Heat the griddle pan for a few minutes before you start to ensure it is hot all over and then place your marinated eggplant in.

You may need to do it in two batches depending on how big your pan is, keep the first batch on a low heat in the oven. 

Teriyaki actually refers to the method of cooking rather than the recipe itself. It is the method of broiling or grilling meat/vegetables in a sauce. 

Why you should make this teriyaki eggplant:

  1. Its super easy to make! Once you have the staple ingredients you can make it over and over fuss free!
  2. It’s ready in half an hour – cure your japanese cravings at home, and save money on a take away!
  3. It’s packed with flavour and will turn even those you dislike eggplant!
Aubergine Curry

Japanese dishes like this teriyaki eggplant are my favourite kind, I’m all for saucy foods packed with flavour. I could eat a big bowl of this teriyaki eggplant on its own and be very happy.

I’m one of those rare people that doesn’t like sushi and I don’t even really know why. I think its because it’s cold and I love hot food. Maybe I’m weird, anyone else not like sushi?

So I know eggplant can be a bit like marmite and you either love it or hate it. I used to hate it I always thought it was soggy and flavourless.

Vegan Marinated Teriyaki Eggplant #teriyaki #japanese #vegan #recipe #eggplant #aubergine

However I’d actually just never had it prepared nicely, it’s SO good roasted with some salt and pepper.

It has a great ‘meaty’ texture which makes it great for lots of vegan recipes.

If you or someone you know doesn’t like it, make them this and I’m almost convinced they’ll like it!

My favourite way to serve this teriyaki eggplant is with some sesame seeds, spring onion and sticky rice! You can’t beat it!

For more eggplant recipes you may enjoy these:

Roasted aubergine and chickpea curry

 Smoky roasted eggplant dip


As always if you make this marinated teriyaki eggplant be sure to leave me a comment, rate this recipe and tag me on Instagram. I love seeing all your photos of my recipe recreations!

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Vegan Marinated Teriyaki Eggplant #teriyaki #japanese #vegan #recipe #eggplant #aubergine

Marinated Teriyaki Eggplant

Yield: 2-3
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes

Sweet, sticky and salty marinated teriyaki eggplant! Grilled to perfection this vegan Japanese recipe is quick and easy and tastier than take out!

Ingredients

  • 2 eggplants/aubergines

Teriyaki Marinade:

  • 1/2 cup soy sauce
  • 1/4 cup mirin
  • 1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
  • 1-2 tbsp brown sugar
  • 1 inch ginger, grated
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced

To serve:

  • Sushi/short grained rice
  • Sesame seeds
  • Spring onion

Instructions

  1. Whisk the sauce ingredients in a bowl, making sure the sugar is dissolved.
  2. Cut the eggplant into small chunks, place in a large bowl and then pour the marinade over the top. Stir and make sure it is all coated, set aside.
  3. Let marinate for at least 20 minutes, stirring a few times.
  4. Place a griddle pan on the hob over medium-high heat. Once hot place the marinated eggplant in.
  5. Pour over any excess marinade over the top whilst cooking. You may need to do it in two lots so you can keep the first lot on a low heat in the oven.
  6. Cook for a few minutes on each side until brown and starting to char from the griddle lines.
  7. Serve straight away with rice or as a side and top with sesame seeds and sliced spring onion!

Notes

Mix it up by adding different vegetables or adding tofu for extra protein.

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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 2 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 342Total Fat: 7gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 3510mgCarbohydrates: 56gFiber: 3gSugar: 24gProtein: 10g

Did you make this recipe?

Let me know in the comments or tag me on Instagram @cupfulofkale

Vegan Marinated Teriyaki Eggplant #vegan #recipe #japanese #teriyaki #eggplant #aubergine

Debbie

Monday 18th of September 2023

This is a great veggie alternative to teriyaki chicken. So quick, easy, and simple to make on a weeknight and the ingredients are all accessible. I have made this a few times already but came back to comment on how great it tastes!

Tamsin

Tuesday 19th of September 2023

Hi Debbie, thanks so much for your comment it means a lot! I am so glad you have enjoyed it several times :) Tamsin xo

4waystoyummy

Sunday 28th of May 2023

I made this dish last week and it's fabulous. It's all about the sauce!Thank you, this recipe is a keeper...even if you are not an eggplant fan...switch out the veggie!

Tamsin

Tuesday 30th of May 2023

Thanks for your comment :) so glad you enjoyed it! Tamsin xo

Donna

Saturday 27th of May 2023

I donโ€™t have mirin. Can I just use Tamari in place of the soy and mirin?

Tamsin

Tuesday 30th of May 2023

Hi Donna, yes you can sub the soy sauce for tamari and just leave the mirin out if you can't find any or you can sub for a dry sherry/sweet marsala wine. Thanks, Tamsin xo

Mike

Wednesday 10th of August 2022

Hi there, this looks great but I'm surprised at these figures:

Carbohydrates: 56g Sugar: 24g

Is that including the rice? I wouldn't have thought eggplant would have had that many carbs or sugar.

veronica

Wednesday 16th of February 2022

We have so much eggplant in the garden and can only eat so much eggplant parm! We love teriyaki so this is a win!

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