Grilled Miso-Glazed Eggplant Donburi with Scallions and Sesame
Tender grilled eggplant brushed with a savory-sweet miso glaze, served over steaming white rice and topped with toasted sesame seeds and fresh scallions. This Japanese-inspired rice and grain recipe (vegetarian), ready in about 25 minutes, pairs Japanese eggplants, white miso paste, mirin for a weeknight-friendly dinner that comes together with one pan and minimal cleanup. Each serving lands at about 320 calories and feeds 3, so it slots cleanly into a weekly meal plan and pairs well with a quick salad or grain on the side. Tap "Plan a meal with the AI" below to drop this recipe into your week and send the ingredients straight to Instacart. Nutrition values are approximate, calculated from USDA FoodData Central (fdc.nal.usda.gov) — verify against ingredient labels for any health-driven dietary plan.
Ingredients
- 2 medium, halved lengthwise Japanese eggplants
- 3 tbsp white miso paste
- 2 tbsp mirin
- 1 tbsp sake
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 3 cups cooked short-grain rice
- 3 stalks, thinly sliced scallions
- 2 tsp toasted sesame seeds
- 1 tsp, for drizzling soy sauce
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Equipment for this recipe
Tools this recipe's steps call for, with a link to each on Amazon.
Instructions
- Step 1: In a small bowl, whisk together 3 tbsp white miso paste, 2 tbsp mirin, 1 tbsp sake, and 1 tbsp sugar until smooth and glossy.
- Step 2: Heat grill or grill pan to medium-high. Brush 2 halved Japanese eggplants lengthwise with 1 tbsp vegetable oil.
- Step 3: Grill the eggplant halves cut side down for 4-5 minutes until tender and grill marks appear. Flip and brush cut sides generously with the miso glaze.
- Step 4: Grill the glazed sides for an additional 3-4 minutes, basting with more glaze halfway, until caramelized and sticky.
- Step 5: To serve, divide 3 cups cooked short-grain rice between 3 bowls. Place a grilled eggplant half on top of each bowl.
- Step 6: Sprinkle each with 2 tsp toasted sesame seeds and 3 thinly sliced scallions. Drizzle 1 tsp soy sauce over the eggplant for extra umami.









