Name: Simmered Eggplant and Fried Tofu Pouch
Prep time: 3 min
Cook time: 12 min
Total time: 15 min
Yield: 2 servings
Cuisine: Japanese Cuisine
Ingredients: Fried Tofu Pouch 2 sheets; Eggplant 2 medium; [A] Dashi Stock 300ml; [A] Mirin (Sweet Rice Wine) 1 tbsp; [A] Sugar 2-3 tsp; [A] Soy Sauce 2 tbsp; Grated Ginger (to taste); Chopped Green Onions (to taste)

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Original: English

Simmered Eggplant and Fried Tofu Pouch

by Koh Kentetsu Kitchen【料理研究家コウケンテツ公式チャンネル】

A healthy and delicious simmered dish of eggplant and fried tofu pouch made without oil. The fried tofu pouch becomes crispy and fragrant, while the eggplant is simmered until glossy, creating a gentle flavor that's perfect with rice. This is a great side dish that keeps well.

Ingredients

Scale:

Main Ingredients (2 servings)

Fried Tofu Pouch 2 sheets
Eggplant 2 medium

Seasonings

📖Cooking Basics

dry（tantanmen）

Steps

Cut 2 sheets of fried tofu pouch into 4 pieces each.
🕒 01:12
Trim the stems off 2 eggplants and cut them in half lengthwise. Then, cut each half in half again, and finally cut each of those into 4 pieces.
🕒 01:15
Make shallow criss-cross cuts on the cut eggplants to help them absorb the flavor better.
🕒 01:37
Soak the eggplant in water to prevent browning and remove any bitterness.
🕒 01:58
Place the cut fried tofu pouch in a frying pan without any oil, and grill both sides until crispy and fragrant. (Key Tip!) This utilizes the natural oil from the fried tofu pouch for a toasty flavor.
🕒 02:06
Add 300ml dashi stock, 1 tbsp mirin (sweet rice wine), 2-3 tsp sugar, and 2 tbsp soy sauce to the pan with the grilled fried tofu pouch.
🕒 02:50
Briefly toss the fried tofu pouch with the seasonings, cover with a lid, and simmer until the fried tofu pouch has fully absorbed the flavors.
🕒 03:07
While the simmering liquid is boiling, add the drained eggplant from the water into the empty parts of the pan, with the skin-side down. (Key Tip!) Adding the eggplant to boiling liquid prevents it from losing its color. Cooking the skin side first also helps maintain its color.
🕒 03:38
Cover with the lid again and simmer, ensuring the eggplant is fully submerged in the liquid.
🕒 04:15
After simmering for about 5 minutes, remove the fried tofu pouch once. (Key Tip!) To prevent the eggplant from absorbing too much flavor and color from the fried tofu pouch, separate them at this stage.
🕒 04:39
In the remaining simmering liquid in the pan, flip the eggplant and reduce the liquid to concentrate the flavors. Place a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface of the eggplant to prevent it from drying out.
🕒 05:29
Arrange the reduced eggplant and the reserved fried tofu pouch attractively in a serving dish.
🕒 06:09
Pour the remaining thickened simmering liquid over the top. Garnish with chopped green onions (to taste) and grated ginger (to taste), and it's ready to serve.
🕒 06:32