Name: How To Make Miso Dengaku At Home (Eggplant, Tofu, Daikon, & Konnyaku)
Prep time: 45 min
Cook time: 70 min
Total time: 115 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Japanese
Ingredients: 3 Tbsp Miso (Use your favorite miso!); 4 Tbsp Sugar; 2 Tbsp Sake; 1 Tbsp Mirin; 1 Medium Eggplant (Japanese, Chinese, or small Globe Eggplant is fine); 1 Package of Tofu (Recommended to use firm tofu); 1/4 Daikon (Japanese radish); 1 Tbsp of rice or 1 tsp of flour; 1 Package of Konnyaku

How To Make Miso Dengaku At Home (Eggplant, Tofu, Daikon, & Konnyaku)-Japanese Taste

AppetizerSide dishMisoMeal-prep friendlyVegetarianVegan

Miso dengaku, also known as dengaku miso, is a traditional Japanese dish that consists of grilled or simmered ingredients such as tofu, konnyaku, eggplant, and daikon, all topped or dipped into a rich dengaku miso sauce.

This sauce is essentially seasoned miso, made by cooking miso paste with Japanese seasonings like mirin and sake until it forms a thick, flavorful coating.

The combination of the savory miso dengaku sauce with simple ingredients like tofu and eggplant makes this a delicious and satisfying dish. Tofu dengaku is particularly popular as it pairs beautifully with drinks.

The origins of dengaku miso date back to the Eiroku period (1558–1570), when skewered and grilled tofu topped with miso paste became popular in Japan. The name "dengaku" was inspired by the skewered tofu’s resemblance to the dengaku-houshi, a man who danced to worship the god of rice fields and prayed for a good harvest during planting season.

When exploring the history of dengaku, it’s impossible not to mention oden, another iconic Japanese dish that actually evolved from dengaku miso, as it used to be eaten with a similar miso sauce. Here's how to make Kyoto style Japanese oden if you're interested.

The flavor of dengaku miso varies depending on the type of miso used and the region of Japan. Variations may include yuzu, peppercorn, sesame, or other types of miso. The ingredients in dengaku miso can also change regionally, though common options include konnyaku, tofu, eggplant, radish, taro, shiitake mushrooms, fish, and meat.

Making miso dengaku at home is simple! You can choose any miso for the sauce and your favorite ingredients for grilling or simmering. In this recipe, we’ll show you how to make a classic dengaku miso sauce and prepare popular ingredients like eggplant, tofu dengaku, radish, and konnyaku (konjac) for an authentic Japanese experience.

Instructions

1) Gathering the Ingredients

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Gather all of the ingredients together.

2) Making the Miso Dengaku Sauce

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Put the miso paste, sugar, mirin, and sake into a small pot. Mix them well with a spatula before heating the mixture on medium heat. Once the mixture comes to a boil, reduce the heat to low then simmer it for about 7-10 minutes until it turns brown and becomes sticky.

Expert's Tip

How To Make Miso Dengaku At Home (Eggplant, Tofu, Daikon, & Konnyaku)

In Japan, there are many varieties of miso, made from different ingredients such as rice, beans, and barley, and they are each prepared in different ways. While there are differences in taste, such as saltiness and sweetness, this is what makes it fun to choose the one that best suits your own taste. However, if you’re not familiar with buying miso, then it may be hard to know where to start.

We recommend our Mixed Miso, which is made from rice, naked barley, soybean (non-GMO), and salt to create a well-balanced miso that can be used in a wide range of dishes, including miso soup and other miso dishes like miso dengaku.

3) Preparing the Eggplant

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Cut the eggplant diagonally at 1 cm intervals. Then, gently score each eggplant in a diamond-shaped pattern. (Be sure not to slice through the eggplant!) This will allow the eggplant to cook more evenly. Grill in a toaster or oven at 230°C (450°F) for 7-10 minutes until cooked through. Top with the miso dengaku sauce

4) Preparing the Tofu

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Wrap the tofu in paper towel, and then place it into a colander. Place a bowl (or another kind of weight) over the tofu, and then place the colander over another bowl. Leave the tofu to drain for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, dry the tofu of any excess water.

Next, slice the tofu into 1.5 cm pieces before pan-frying them in a lightly oiled frying pan. When the tofu becomes slightly browned, after about 3-4 minutes, pan-fry the other side in the same way. (Do not turn the tofu too many times as it will fall apart.) Top with the miso dengaku sauce.

5) Preparing the Daikon

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Cut the daikon into 2-2.5 cm pieces and peel off the outer skin. Next, round the edges of the daikon using the edge of your knife. This will allow the daikon to keep its shape while cooking. Finally, cut an X into the surface of the daikon.

Add 1 tablespoon of rice or 1 teaspoon of flour to a pot of water, bring it to a boil, and boil the daikon for 20-30 minutes. You will know that the daikon is ready when you pierce it with a bamboo skewer and it goes through easily. Top with the miso dengaku sauce.

Tip: Adding rice or flour to the water helps the daikon keep its white color.

6) Preparing the Konnyaku

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Cut the konnyaku into strips that are about 1 cm in thickness. Then, score each piece in a diamond-shaped pattern on one side.

Place the konnyaku in a pot of boiling water and boil for about 5 minutes. Then, top with the miso dengaku sauce.

7) Serving Dengaku Miso

Now it's done! Feel free to eat them while they're still hot and share them with your friends. You can also use this method with your favorite ingredients to create new combinations.

8) Storing the Leftover Miso Dengaku Sauce

The homemade miso dengaku sauce can also be stored in an airtight container and kept in the refrigerator for up to one month. However, if the container is opened and closed frequently, the sauce may change in flavor, so if you make a lot of miso dengaku sauce, it is recommended to divide them into smaller containers for storage.