Fried Japanese Eggplant in Dashi Broth (Agebitashi)

Japanese fried eggplant steeped in a savory dashi broth. Made with mentsuyu, so there is no need to prepare dashi from scratch.

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About This Recipe

Nasu no agebitashi is a Japanese home-style dish of fried eggplant steeped in a dashi broth. The eggplant turns silky in hot oil, then absorbs the warm broth poured over it.

Traditionally, the broth calls for preparing dashi and balancing soy sauce, mirin, and sugar. Here, mentsuyu handles all of that. Our homemade mentsuyu already carries the umami of katsuobushi and kombu, so the broth comes together by warming it with water.

Grated daikon, ginger, myoga, and shiso add a fresh aroma and gentle sharpness that lift the richness of the fried eggplant. Served warm or chilled, it works alongside rice or on its own.

This recipe is one of the dishes introduced as an example in our homemade mentsuyu recipe. For how to make the mentsuyu itself, see the recipe below.

Japanese Noodle Soup Base (Mentsuyu) | Homemade All-Purpose Seasoning Sauce Recipe

Why Use Mentsuyu for Agebitashi?

A standard agebitashi broth is built from soy sauce, mirin, sugar, and dashi, each measured and combined. With this recipe, the broth is simply mentsuyu warmed with water.

The mentsuyu used here already contains the umami of katsuobushi and kombu alongside soy sauce, mirin, and sake. Poured over the fried eggplant, it delivers the depth of soy sauce, the rounded sweetness of mirin, and the layered umami of dashi all at once, without preparing stock or balancing separate seasonings.

Ingredients (Serves 2)

Japanese eggplant 2 / 6.3–7.1 oz / 180–200 g
Mentsuyu (4x concentrate) 1 tbsp + 1 tsp
(See our homemade mentsuyu recipe, made with soy sauce, sake, mirin, sugar, katsuobushi, and kombu.)
Water 6 tbsp + 2 tsp / 3.4 fl oz / 100 ml
Oil for deep-frying as needed

Condiments

Grated daikon radish as needed, optional
Grated ginger as needed, optional
Myoga (Japanese ginger) as needed, optional
Shiso leaves (perilla) as needed, optional

Instructions

1	Combine the water and mentsuyu in a saucepan and place over heat. There is no need to bring it to a boil, only to warm it through. Tip Warming the broth in advance brings out the aroma of katsuobushi and kombu and helps it settle into the freshly fried eggplant. Prepare it first so it is ready the moment the eggplant comes out of the oil.
2	Trim off the stem and halve the eggplant lengthwise. Score the skin side with shallow diagonal cuts, then cut into bite-sized pieces. Tips There is no need to soak the eggplant in water, as it goes straight into the oil. Frying without soaking keeps the eggplant from turning watery and helps reduce oil splatter. Scoring the skin helps the mentsuyu settle into the eggplant.
3	Blot away any surface moisture with paper towels, then heat the oil to 340–355°F / 170–180°C. Add the eggplant skin side down and fry for two to three minutes, until the pieces soften throughout and the surface takes on a light color. Tips Fry the eggplant as soon as it is cut, without letting it sit. Starting skin side down helps preserve the deep purple color of the eggplant. Overfrying causes the eggplant to absorb too much oil and lose its shape. Remove it once it has softened throughout.
4	For a lighter finish, pour hot water over the fried eggplant for one to two seconds to rinse away the oil, then wrap it gently in paper towels and blot dry. Place the eggplant skin side up on paper towels to drain off any remaining oil, then arrange it in a serving dish. Tips Draining skin side up prevents the skin from pressing against the paper, which can dull the color or trap steam. Blotting thoroughly matters here. Moisture left on the eggplant dilutes the mentsuyu and blurs the flavor. Draining the oil well keeps the broth from turning greasy.
5	Pour the warmed mentsuyu over the eggplant so that it pools around the pieces. Tip Adding the warm broth while the eggplant is freshly fried helps it settle onto the surface. Eggplant absorbs liquid like a sponge, so combining the two while warm allows the umami to work its way inside.
6	Add grated daikon, grated ginger, thinly sliced myoga, and shredded shiso leaves. Serve while still warm. Tip There is no need to use every condiment. Combine whichever ones are available.

Serving It the Next Day

Letting the fried eggplant rest in the broth overnight allows the flavor to soak in slowly, giving a deeper, more fully seasoned result than serving it the same day.

Pour the warm broth over the fried eggplant.
Once it has cooled slightly, cover with a lid or plastic wrap and refrigerate.
Chill overnight, about 8 to 12 hours.
Serve cold the following day.

Add the grated daikon, ginger, myoga, and shiso just before serving.

The scored skin lets the broth work its way inside, so the eggplant takes on the flavor throughout. Chilled, it also makes a fitting side dish for summer.