Nasu no Oranda-ni

Quick answer

Total time: 50 min
Level: Easy
Servings: 4 servings
Ingredients: 9

About this dish

Nasu no Oranda-ni is a Kanazawa summer side dish of small whole eggplants.

Each is cross-cut, soaked, and boiled first; the bitter blanching water is discarded completely before the eggplants simmer in fresh dashi with light soy sauce, sake, sugar, chili, and salt. Thin-skinned, tender Heta Murasaki eggplant, one of the Kaga vegetables, holds its shape especially well. The dish is often cooled and eaten cold, with only a small finishing drizzle of sesame oil for aroma.

Ingredients (4 servings)

Ingredient	Amount	Unit
small eggplants	8	piece
water for soaking and blanching	2500	ml
dried red chili	1	piece
dashi	300	ml
light soy sauce	2.75	tbsp
sake	1	tbsp
sugar	1	tbsp
salt	0.33	tsp
sesame oil	1	tbsp

Instructions

Read the steps as a cooking flow: prep, heat, seasoning, doneness control, and finish.

4 steps

1

Prep

Stem 8 eggplants and cut a lengthwise cross, leaving 2cm joined at the base.

Soak in 1000ml of the preparation water for 10 minutes.
2

Heat

Boil the remaining 1500ml water and blanch eggplants for 4 to 5 minutes.

When color deepens and they bend slightly, cool in cold water and discard all blanching water.
3

Control

Boil 300ml dashi, 2.75 tablespoons light soy, 1 tablespoon each sake and sugar, and 0.33 teaspoon salt.

Slice chili to 3mm, add with eggplants, cover with a drop lid, and simmer 18 minutes.
4

Prep

When chopsticks enter the centers easily and liquid halves, remove from heat.

Drizzle 1 tablespoon sesame oil, cool 30 minutes, and chill 2 hours if serving cold.