Original: English

Eggplant Tsukemono (Japanese Pickled Eggplant)

This recipe for eggplant tsukemono is made to be enjoyed like a salad, even by those who dislike its unique texture. Packed with tips for efficiently removing bitterness and achieving a juicy, non-mushy result with just a little effort. Perfect for a summer meal.

📖Cooking Basics

dry（tantanmen）

Steps

Trim the eggplant stems very close to the fruit.
🕒 01:01
Peel off the tough part of the stem.
🕒 01:23
Using a peeler, remove the skin in about 4 vertical strips, creating a striped pattern. This is the key! This striped peeling reduces the eggplant's unique texture and helps the flavors penetrate better.
🕒 02:35
Cut the eggplants in half lengthwise.
🕒 03:32
Slice them thinly on an angle, about 5mm thick. Place the cut eggplant in a bowl. This is the key! Slicing them diagonally instead of dicing makes them absorb flavors more easily.
🕒 03:41
While the cutting board and knife are out, peel the 1 clove of garlic that will be used later and trim off the root end.
🕒 04:48
If there are any green sprouts, remove them and roughly chop into about 4 pieces.
🕒 05:02
Add 2 tbsp of sugar and 1/2 tsp of salt to the cut eggplants in the bowl.
🕒 05:26
Mix thoroughly until the sugar and salt dissolve and the eggplants look glossy. This is the key! Rubbing with salt and sugar first helps release bitterness more easily, shortening the de-bittering time.
🕒 05:48
Add 1L of water to the glossy eggplants.
🕒 06:24
Mix lightly, then cover with a paper towel. Let them sit for 10 minutes to remove bitterness. This is the key! After rubbing with salt and sugar, soaking them in water acts as a coating, preventing them from becoming too dry and mushy.
🕒 06:36
In a small bowl, combine 100ml of water, 2 tsp of sugar, and 1/2 tsp of salt, and mix until dissolved.
🕒 07:28
Add 1 tbsp of vinegar, the chopped 1 clove of garlic, and 3g of kombu.
🕒 07:51
Mix thoroughly until the salt and sugar are dissolved. This is the key! Chopping the garlic roughly prevents the entire dish from tasting too garlicky, adding a subtle accent of flavor.
🕒 08:15
Remove the paper towel from the eggplants after de-bittering.
🕒 09:11
Spread open a plastic bag, lightly pat the surface moisture off the de-bittered eggplants with a paper towel, and place them in the bag. This is the key! To retain the eggplants' juiciness, do not squeeze out the water tightly; just pat the surface gently. This is the key! If the bitterness isn't removed thoroughly, the eggplants may turn dark after pickling, so do this step carefully.
🕒 09:23
Add all of the prepared pickling liquid to the plastic bag with the eggplants.
🕒 10:46
Seal the bag tightly and shake to distribute the liquid evenly among the eggplants.
🕒 11:01
Squeeze out as much air as possible from the bag so that the pickling liquid covers the eggplants completely.
🕒 11:17
Once the air is removed, tie the bag securely. This is the key! Removing the air thoroughly ensures that the pickling liquid coats the eggplants evenly, preventing uneven pickling.
🕒 11:46
Place the bag in a container (like a bento box) to prevent spills, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. This is the key! Pickling for a full day will allow the eggplant to release just the right amount of moisture, resulting in perfectly pickled eggplant.
🕒 12:08
Before serving, lightly pat the surface moisture off the eggplants with a paper towel.
🕒 12:42
Cut the tip off the plastic bag and pour the pickling liquid into a serving dish first, then add the eggplants.
🕒 12:53