Japanese Eggplant and Daikon Radish Salad with Miso Wasabi dressing
Well, it’s father’s day again. We are celebrating with an international menu covering east to west. We want to have a balanced meal. So, it is important to have plenty of veggies. Japanese cuisine is known for its use of fresh produce. And, the vibrancy of flavors such as ginger and soy common in their cooking highlights that freshness. This salad is more substantial than most western salads. Seared Eggplant adds a meaty component to a plant based dish. Daikon and Wasabi lend a little spice to keep it interesting. Japanese Eggplant and Daikon Radish Salad with Miso Wasabi dressing makes a nice starter. But, it could also be a meal on a hot summer day.
Some of these ingredients are not necessarily readily available in your corner grocery store. You will probably need to take a trip to an Asian market or specialty store. Although, places like whole foods may carry most, if not all. If you can’t get Daikon radish, you can substitute other types. You are looking for something with crunch and spice. The nice thing about Daikon is it’s size and shape. You can cut large slices and julienne them into strips for a consistency of shape and size on par with the pepper strips.
We also use Japanese eggplant here. If you aren’t familiar, those are the long, thin, purple eggplants. You can substitute other varieties. But, again, they will need to be cut differently. And, the flavor will be a little different. Of course, miso is a tough thing to substitute. It is a soy paste. Some people say you can substitute with soy sauce. But, it serves more as a consistency thing here. You could just omit it if unavailable. The flavor will be different. But, the salad will still be vibrant.
Table of Contents
Japanese Eggplant and Daikon Radish Salad is very versatile
Since it combines cooked vegetables with raw, this is more than a salad. It can be a side dish or entree. And, the beauty is, it is light enough that you won’t be slowed down. Enjoy it by itself or as part of a buffet or multi course meal. Just remember, you will need to clean the plates afterwards. So, be disrespectful to dirt and find Mr Sparkle (You didn’t think I’d forget your Simpson’s reference, did you?)
KanPai
Japanese Eggplant and Daikon Radish Salad with Miso Wasabi dressing
Ingredients
- 12 oz Japanese Eggplant
- 1 oz Sesame oil
- 1/4 tsp cracked black pepper
- 1 Tbsp Lime juice
- 1 tsp honey
- 1/2 tsp garlic chopped
- 1 tsp chopped fresh cilantro
- 1 Tbsp Soy Sauce
- 1/2 cup julienne daikon radish
- 1/2 cup Julienne English cucumber
- 1/4 cup julienne red bell pepper
- 2 cups Baby mizuna or other baby greens
- For dressing:
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1/4 cup Rice wine vinegar (Seasoned)
- 1 tsp Lime Juice
- 1 Tbsp Soy sauce
- 1/4 tsp chopped fresh garlic
- 1/2 tsp chopped fesh ginger
- 1 tsp wasabi powder
- 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1 Tbsp Miso paste
- 1/2 cup soy bean oil
- 2 Tbsp Sesame oil
Instructions
- Marinate the eggplant. make marinade: Mix Lime juice, sesame oil, honey, soy, cilantro, garlic, and black pepper. Split the Japanese Eggplant lengthwise and coat evenly with the marinade. Let sit in fridge about an hour or longer.
- Make the dressing by mixing all ingredients except oil in a blender or in a bowl . Turn on the blender or use a stick blender and slowly drizzle in the oil until the ingredients emulsify into a dressing. Set aside in the fridge until service time.
- Heat a pan over medium high heat. Sear the eggplant until caramelized (about 2 to 3 minutes). Then flip over and cook on other side for about the same amount of time. Turn off the heat and pour in the glaze. Let in coat the eggplant. But, be careful not to scorch it. That would leave a bitter taste and burn the product. Allow to cool. Then slice into diagonal cut shapes.
- At service time, Toss the vegetables together with some of the dressing. If there is extra dressing, it will hold for a couple weeks in the fridge. Serve imediately.