Steps

1. Lightly rinse 3 eggplants under water and trim the ends like sharpening a pencil.
   🕒 01:22
2. Cut the eggplants in half, then slice them into half-moons about 8mm thick. (Key Tip!) Cutting them slightly thicker ensures they hold their shape and look appealing.
   🕒 01:33
3. Place the cut eggplants into a plastic bag, add 1 tbsp of salt, and salt pickle them. (Key Tip!) Salting draws out moisture from the eggplants, firms them up, and makes them absorb flavor more easily, allowing for a rich tsukudani in a short time.
   🕒 02:11
4. Let them sit in the refrigerator for about 10 minutes. If not much water has come out, gently knead the bag to release more moisture.
   🕒 03:15
5. After 10 minutes, gently squeeze out the released water from the eggplants without crushing their shape.
   🕒 03:30
6. Heat a frying pan over medium heat and add 1 tbsp of oil.
   🕒 04:25
7. Add the squeezed eggplants to the pan and spread them out. Do not stir for the first 2 minutes, allowing them to develop a nice sear. (Key Tip!) Developing some char adds fragrance and enhances the flavor.
   🕒 04:56
8. After searing for about 2 minutes, gently toss the eggplants.
   🕒 05:31
9. Reduce the heat to low and add 1 tbsp of Cooking Sake (Rice Wine) and 1 tbsp of Mirin (Sweet Rice Wine). (Key Tip!) Adding the sake and mirin first helps to evaporate the alcohol, removing any raw grassy smell from the eggplants and leaving only their delicious umami.
   🕒 05:58
10. Add 1 packet of Bonito Flakes (Katsuobushi) and directly grate 1 piece of Fresh Ginger into the pan.
    🕒 06:42
11. Finally, add 1 tbsp of Soy Sauce and lightly sprinkle with 1 tbsp of White Sesame Seeds.
    🕒 07:06
12. Stir everything together until the flavors are well combined. It's ready!
    🕒 07:33
13. For an even richer flavor, let it sit in the refrigerator for about a day to allow the flavors to meld further.
    🕒 08:02