Nasu no Yakibitashi (Japanese Chilled Eggplant in Dashi-Soy Broth)

Nasu no yakibitashi (なすの焼き浸し) is one of those quietly perfect Japanese summer side dishes — pan-fried eggplant and pepper soaked in a chilled dashi-soy broth, served cold with fresh shiso and myoga and a snowfall of bonito flakes. It tastes light, savoury, and deeply satisfying in a way that fried things rarely do. And it’s even better the next day, straight from the fridge.

This is a classic make-ahead dish for the hot months. You cook everything in 10 minutes, let it sit in the tsuyu for at least 15 minutes (or a few hours in the fridge), and serve it cold whenever you want something refreshing alongside rice. For this batch I used a mizu-nasu — a juicy, tender summer variety of Japanese eggplant — but any Japanese or Asian eggplant works beautifully.

What Is Yakibitashi?

Yakibitashi (焼き浸し) literally means “grilled and steeped.” The technique is exactly that: cook the vegetables until lightly charred and tender, then drop them straight into a seasoned dashi broth where they cool and soak up flavour. It works with all kinds of summer vegetables — eggplant, pepper, okra, asparagus, mushrooms — but nasu (eggplant) is the most classic.

The result is the opposite of heavy. The eggplant softens completely, drinks up the dashi broth, and becomes silky and slightly sweet against the savoury liquid. Serve it cold and the contrast with the warm summer air makes it one of the most refreshing things you can put on a Japanese table.

A Note on Mizu-Nasu

Mizu-nasu (水なす) — literally “water eggplant” — is a famous summer variety from Osaka with extra-thin skin and very juicy, tender flesh. It’s so mild it’s often eaten raw as a salad. If you can find it at a Japanese market in summer, it’s worth seeking out. But this recipe works just as well with regular Japanese eggplant, Chinese long eggplant, or even Italian eggplant cut a bit smaller.

Ingredients

Serves 2

Ingredient	Amount
Japanese eggplant (mizu-nasu or regular)	2 (about 160g)
Green pepper	2 (about 80g)
Sesame oil (or neutral oil)	2 tbsp
Mentsuyu (Japanese noodle soup base), 4× concentrate	1.5 tbsp
Water	80ml
Grated ginger	1/2 tsp
Bonito flakes (katsuobushi)	To finish
Shiso leaves (perilla)	A few, shredded
Myoga (Japanese ginger bud)	1 bulb, thinly sliced

A Note on Mentsuyu

Mentsuyu (めんつゆ) is a pre-mixed Japanese noodle dipping sauce — dashi, soy sauce, mirin, and a touch of sugar all in one bottle. It’s a workhorse ingredient in Japanese home cooking, perfect for situations like this where you want a deeply savoury sauce without measuring out four different things.

For this batch I used Kikkoman Koidashi Hontsuyu — a 4× concentrate. Important: mentsuyu comes in different concentrations (2×, 3×, 4×). The original Japanese recipe I followed uses 3× and calls for 1.5 tbsp; I used 4× so I scaled it down. If your bottle is a 2× concentrate, double the amount. Always check the label.

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How to Make Nasu Yakibitashi

Step 1: Prep the Vegetables

Cut the stem off each eggplant and slice in half lengthwise. On the cut side, make shallow diagonal cuts about 2–3mm apart — these scoring marks help the eggplant absorb the tsuyu more deeply. Cut each half crosswise into 2 pieces so you end up with 4 long wedges per eggplant.

Soak the cut eggplant in cold water for a few minutes to draw out any astringency, then drain and pat dry. Wet eggplant going into hot oil will splatter, so this drying step matters.

Cut the peppers in half lengthwise, remove the stems and seeds, then cut each half diagonally in two pieces.

Step 2: Mix the Tsuyu

In a bowl or storage container, combine 1.5 tbsp mentsuyu (4× concentrate), 80ml water, and 1/2 tsp grated ginger. Stir to combine. Set aside.

Step 3: Fry the Eggplant

Heat 2 tbsp of sesame oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Lay the eggplant in skin-side down first and cook until the skin starts to crackle and turn deep purple, about 2–3 minutes.

Add the pepper pieces to the pan. Flip the eggplant onto its cut side and continue cooking until both vegetables are golden and tender — another 2–3 minutes per side. Eggplant absorbs a lot of oil; if the pan looks dry, add another splash of sesame oil so the vegetables get a proper sear.

Step 4: Drop Into the Tsuyu and Steep

When the vegetables are tender and golden, transfer them straight from the hot pan into the tsuyu mixture. They should sizzle as they hit the liquid — this is exactly right. The hot vegetables absorb the seasoning more quickly than cold ones would.

Cover with a piece of plastic wrap pressed directly against the surface (so all the vegetables stay submerged) and let sit for at least 15 minutes at room temperature. If you have time, refrigerate for 1–3 hours — it gets better the longer it sits.

Step 5: Prep the Toppings

While the vegetables steep, prepare the toppings. Shiso (perilla leaves) and myoga (Japanese ginger bud) are the classic pair for chilled summer dishes like this one — they add a fresh, slightly minty, slightly peppery aroma that lifts the savoury tsuyu.

Stack the shiso leaves, roll them into a tight cylinder, and slice into thin shreds. Cut the myoga in half lengthwise, then slice each half into thin slivers.

If you can’t find myoga or shiso, you can substitute with thinly sliced green onion and a few mint leaves — different flavour, but the same brightness.

Step 6: Serve

Spoon the chilled eggplant and pepper into a bowl with plenty of the tsuyu (the broth is half the point — don’t skimp on it). Top generously with bonito flakes, a small pile of shredded shiso, and a few slivers of myoga.

Eat it chilled, scooping vegetables and broth together. It pairs beautifully with rice and miso soup for a light Japanese summer dinner.

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Tips From My Kitchen

• Score the eggplant skin. Shallow diagonal cuts on the cut surface give the eggplant more area to soak up the tsuyu and also help it cook more evenly.
• Don’t be afraid of the oil. Eggplant drinks oil, and that’s part of how this dish gets its silky, glossy texture. Sesame oil is my preference for the toasty aroma it adds.
• Hot vegetables into cold tsuyu. The temperature difference helps the broth penetrate the vegetables fast. Don’t let the vegetables cool down before they hit the tsuyu.
• Better overnight. If you can plan ahead, make this in the morning or the night before. The flavour deepens in the fridge and the eggplant softens beautifully.
• Use the right mentsuyu concentration. Mentsuyu comes in 2×, 3×, and 4× concentrates. Always check the label before measuring. My 4× version uses 1.5 tbsp; a 2× would need about 3 tbsp.
• It keeps for 3–4 days in the fridge. Make a double batch — chilled yakibitashi is one of the best things to have ready for lunch on a hot weekday.

Variations

• Add okra or asparagus — both work the same way. Fry until just tender then drop in the tsuyu.
• Add mushrooms — shiitake, shimeji, or eringi all add a deeper umami note.
• Add a touch of chili — a few slices of fresh red chili or a pinch of shichimi for heat.
• Serve over chilled udon or somen — turn it into a one-bowl summer meal by spooning the vegetables and tsuyu over cold noodles.