Fried Eggplant with Crushed Green Soybeans
Nasu No Zunda Aé

Adapted from Washoku: Recipes from the Japanese Home Kitchen by Elizabeth Andoh (Ten Speed Press, 2005). © 2005 by Elizabeth Andoh. Used with permission.

Serves 4

Crushing cooked edamame makes a thick, jade sauce that is popular in the Tohoku (northeast) region of Japan. There, the dish is called zunda, written with the calligraphy for "crushing" and "beans." Here is the savory version of zunda aé, most often used to dress fried or sautéed chunks of eggplant. Traditionally, zunda aé was made by grinding the soybeans in a mortar. In the modern washoku kitchen, a food processor simplifies the process.

Deep-frying the eggplant will preserve the dark-purple color of the skins, and when fried at the proper temperature, the eggplants actually absorb less oil than when they are pan seared. I provide directions for both deep-frying and pan searing.

Note: Because fresh edamame is difficult to find in many parts of the country, we have adapted Elizabeth's recipe to use frozen edamame in the pod.

• 8 ounces flash-frozen edamame in the pod
• 1 teaspoon mirin
• 1 teaspoon light-colored soy sauce
• Vegetable oil for deep-frying or pan searing
• 3 or 4 Japanese eggplants, about 3 ounces each, trimmed but with skin intact and cut into 3/4-inch chunks

Bring a large pot filled with water to a rolling boil. Toss the edamame into the pot frozen and cook for no more than 2-1/2 minutes after the water returns to a boil. If cooking fully thawed beans, blanch them for only 45 seconds.

Drain the bean pods and cool them, fanning them rapidly to preserve their color. Do not cool by submerging them in ice water, because they will lose a great deal of their flavor in the water.

After the beans have cooled, shell them; you should have about 1/2 cup. Remove the thin inner skin surrounding each bean before transferring the beans to a food processor. Pulse until well crushed. Between pulses, scrape down the sides of the bowl to make sure that all the beans are evenly mashed. Drizzle in the mirin and soy sauce and continue to pulse until well blended. The finished sauce should have small bits of bean evenly scattered throughout, and it should form a mass easily when pressed with a spoon.

To deep-fry the eggplants, pour oil to a depth of 2 inches into a wok or deep skillet and heat to 375°F on a deep-frying thermometer. Or test the oil temperature with trimmed scraps of eggplant. Ideally, the pieces will sink slightly, rise quickly, and then sizzle on the surface, coloring slowly. If the eggplant trimmings sink but do not surface immediately, the oil temperature is too low. If the eggplant trimmings never sink but sizzle immediately, the temperature is slightly high; gently stir the oil to cool it somewhat. If the eggplant trimmings sizzle and begin to color immediately, the oil is much too hot; lower the heat, stir, and wait for a moment before testing again. If you have no eggplant trimmings to use as a test, place the tip of an unvarnished, wooden chopstick in the oil. If small bubbles appear within a few seconds, the temperature is about 360°F. Wait an extra moment (to allow the oil to heat a bit more) before beginning to fry.

When the temperature is right, carefully lower the eggplant chunks, skin side first to preserve their color, into the oil. Fry for 1 minute, undisturbed, and then flip each chunk and fry for another 45 seconds or so, until tender. Either skewer a chunk with a toothpick (it should meet with no resistance) or gently squeeze with chopsticks or tongs (it should give easily). Using a fine-mesh strainer, transfer the eggplant pieces to a wire rack to drain, or transfer them to a tray or dish lined with paper towels ready to absorb excess oil. Let the eggplant pieces drain thoroughly.

To pan sear the eggplants, heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Drizzle 1 or 2 spoonfuls of oil into the pan. Working in batches to avoid crowding, place the eggplant pieces, skin side down, in the hot skillet (this helps keep the purple color bright). Cook for 2 minutes, undisturbed. Flip the pieces and drizzle in an extra spoonful of oil, drawing an imaginary line around the cluster of cooking eggplant chunks. Continue to pan sear for another minute, or until tender. Either skewer a chink with a toothpick (it should meet with no resistance) or gently squeeze with chopsticks or tongs (it should give easily). Transfer the eggplant pieces to a rack lined with paper towels.

Whether frying or pan searing the eggplant chunks, blot them with paper towels to remove any excess oil. While the pieces are still warm, toss them with the crushed soybean sauce. The dish can be served either warm or chilled.