Vegan Unagi Donburi

Votes: 1

Time: 25 min.
Complexity: easily
Servings: 4

Nutritional value per serving:

Serving size: 1 of 4
Calories 1225, total fat 8 G., saturated fats 1 G., proteins 22 G., carbohydrates 251 G., fiber 3 G., cholesterol 0 mg, sodium 1174 mg, sugar 13 G.

This is a super-delicious vegan version of the popular Japanese dish unadon (unagi-donburi), fried eel in a sweet, sticky sauce served with white rice. Eggplant replaces the eel. The recipe is quick and easy, yet so delicious that it's a hit with vegans as well. You don't have to peel the eggplant, but it will be more tender if you peel it. Sansho pepper is a classic accompaniment to unadon, and it's also delicious with eggplant.

The recipes use measuring containers with the following volumes:
1 glass (st.) - 250 ml.
3/4 cup (st.) - 180 ml.
2/3 cup (st.) - 160 ml.
1/2 cup (st.) - 125 ml.
1/3 cup (st.) - 80 ml.
1/4 cup (st.) - 60 ml.
1 tablespoon (tbsp) - 15 ml.
1 teaspoon (tsp) - 5 ml.
1/5 teaspoon (tsp) - 1 ml.

Ingredients for the recipe:

1/3 cup mirin
1/3 cup soy sauce
3 tablespoons vegan sugar
2 tbsp + 1.5 tsp vegan sake
1 teaspoon grated ginger
2 green onions, thinly sliced
2 large Japanese or Chinese eggplants (about 0.5 kg), peeled and halved crosswise, then sliced lengthwise into slices about 0.8 cm thick.
Neutral vegetable oil
6 cups steamed sushi rice
Sansho pepper, for sprinkling, optional
Toasted sesame seeds for sprinkling, optional

Ingredient Substitution Suggestions

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Recipes with similar ingredients: mirin (rice wine), soy sauce, sugar, sake, ginger root, green onions, eggplants, sushi rice, chili pepper, sesame

Cooking the dish according to the recipe:

Combine mirin, soy sauce, sugar, sake, ginger, and half of the green onions in a small bowl until the sugar dissolves. Set aside.
Heat a large skillet (preferably nonstick) over medium heat. Brush both sides of the eggplant slices with oil, place them in the skillet, and cook, pressing down occasionally with tongs or a spatula, until golden brown, about 4 minutes. Flip the slices and cook, pressing down occasionally with tongs or a spatula, until golden brown on the other side, about 3 minutes more.

Pour the sauce into the skillet, reduce the heat, and simmer, covered, until the eggplant is almost tender and the sauce has reduced by about half, about 3 minutes. Flip and simmer, uncovered, until the sauce resembles a thick glaze, about 2 more minutes. Stir and remove from the heat. If the sauce becomes too thick, add a little water. Conversely, if the eggplant is tender but the sauce is too thin, remove the eggplant to a plate and continue reducing the sauce.
Divide the rice into 4 bowls and top with eggplant slices, overlapping slightly. Drizzle with the sauce, then sprinkle with sansho pepper, sesame seeds, if using, and the remaining green onions.

Categories:

recipe / Vegan dishes / Calorie content of prepared meals / Vegetarian dishes / Main courses / Vegetables and mushrooms / Food Network - recipes / Asian cuisine / Japanese cuisine

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