Nasu no Agebitashi (Fried Aubergine in Dashi)
Golden fried aubergine soaking in a cool, savoury dashi marinade with grated ginger, ideal chilled.
Made with Dashi stock. Make a batch of the base first, then this takes minutes. Skip to the method
- Time30 min
- LevelEasy
- Costabout £1.79 a head
Cost is worked out from Aldi and Tesco shelf prices in October 2026. Your shop and brands will differ.
Ingredients
Tick what you need to buy. It goes on your shopping list.
Method
- 1
Heat your ready made dashi (see the base recipe) in a small pan with the mirin and tamari until just simmering. Pour into a shallow dish and leave to cool slightly.
- 2
Heat the oil in a wide frying pan over a medium high heat.
- 3
Fry the aubergine cut side down for 5 minutes until golden, then turn and fry for 4 minutes until soft all the way through. Drain briefly on kitchen paper.
9 min - 4
Place the hot aubergine into the warm dashi marinade and leave for at least 15 minutes.
15 min - 5
Serve warm or chilled, topped with the ginger, spring onions and sesame seeds.
Tips
- Score the cut sides so the aubergine absorbs the dashi and cooks evenly.
- Add the aubergine to the marinade while it is still hot to soak up the most flavour.
- Serve chilled on hot days for a refreshing side dish.
Storing and freezing
Keeps 3 days in the fridge in its marinade, cooled within 1 hour. Serve chilled or at room temperature.
Questions
Why fry the aubergine first?
Frying gives it a rich, silky texture and lets it soak up the dashi. Roasting works too, but needs more oil to stay silky.
Can I make it vegetarian?
Not with this dashi, which contains bonito (fish). Make a kombu and dried shiitake dashi instead.
More made with dashi stock
Double check before you cook. Recipes can contain mistakes. Any diet labels come from the ingredients as written in this recipe and are a guide, not a guarantee. Always check every ingredient and the packet label for allergens and cross contamination, and ask your doctor or dietitian what is right for you, especially with coeliac disease, diabetes or a serious allergy. This is not medical advice.