a single-serving recipe for sweet & savory noodles!
an easy dish to impress yourself (it’s just one serving!)
looking for a single serving weeknight dish that’s better than takeout? look no further! the cook time for this recipe may seem a little long, but most of it is waiting for the eggplant to finish in the oven; the only active cooking time is around 10 minutes, so you can unwind and change into your comfy clothes in time for a delicious meal~
miso glazed eggplant
this dish was inspired by the miso glazed eggplant i had at a restaurant recently. it was served cold as an appetizer but the flavor was so good i was still thinking about it weeks later. i’ve made miso glazed eggplant at home before (it goes great with rice!), and it’s pretty simple. most of the work is done by the oven! this time i cut it into matchsticks so i could mix it with the last pack of udon in my fridge. and let me TELL YOU… the sweet, soft eggplant combined with savory, chewy udon noodles makes a delightful combination.
what is “yaki” udon?
yaki udon is a japanese stir-fried noodle dish mixed with a soy-based sauce, meat, and vegetables. it’s similar to yakisoba, which uses a similar stir-frying technique to cook ramen-style wheat noodles. while you may be more familiar with the soupy kind of udon, this udon is packed with flavor and only requires a few simple ingredients.
here’s the sauce breakdown:
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp oyster sauce
- 1 tbsp mirin
combine this with your choice of meat and veggies, and it’s the perfect well-rounded, weeknight dinner!
putting it all together, or taking it apart
this recipe can be broken down into two parts: the miso eggplant and yaki udon. you can use the recipe as a starting place to experiement with two separate dishes. as i mentioned before, miso glazed eggplant goes great with a bowl of rice, and the yaki udon can be a base to add in different vegetables or proteins as well. personally, i like dishes that combine two opposite flavors (sweet/salty, sweet/spicy, sweet/savory, etc.), so combining these two makes sense to me. but i encourage you to try them separately after you make this dish! the flavors deserve to be appreciated in as many ways as possible.
how-to:
prep work — preheat the oven to 400ºF (or 200°C). slice eggplant into matchsticks. OPTIONAL: soak the eggplant in water for 10 minutes to remove astringency. remove from water and pat dry. lightly toss the eggplant in sesame oil.
cooking — arrange eggplant on a sheet pan in a single layer. bake for 10-12 minutes, until they start to soften and wither. while they bake, combine miso, sugar and sake (or water) in a small bowl. once time has elapsed, pour the miso mixture over the eggplant and lightly toss. return to oven and bake for another 5 minutes. bring a pot of water to boil and cook udon noodles according to its package; drain and set aside. heat 1 tbsp of neutral oil in a skillet on medium heat. add garlic and sauté for 1 minute. add in ground meat and cook for another 3 minutes, breaking up the meat and stirring until no longer pink. lower the heat. in a small bowl, whisk together soy sauce, oyster sauce and mirin. add the sauce, eggplant and noodles to the skillet and stir until for about a minute until combined.
serve — serve with chopped green onion and a sprinkle of sesame seeds!
yaki udon with miso eggplant
Ingredients
miso glazed eggplant
- 1 japanese eggplant
- 1 tbsp miso
- 1/2 tbsp sesame oil
- 1/2 tbsp sugar
- 1 tbsp sake or water
udon
- 1 tbsp neutral oil
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 4 oz ground meat
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp oyster sauce
- 1 tbsp mirin
- 1 serving udon
- green onion chopped
- sesame seeds
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400ºF. Slice eggplant into matchsticks (see pictures above). Lightly toss in sesame oil then arrange eggplant on a sheet pan in a single layer. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until they start to soften. Combine miso, sugar and sake (or water) in a small bowl. Pour over eggplant and lightly toss. Bake for another 5 minutes.
- Bring a pot of water to boil and cook udon noodles according to package. Drain and set noodles aside.
- Heat oil in a skillet on medium heat. Add garlic and sauté for 1 minute. Add in ground meat and cook for another 3 minutes, breaking up the meat and stirring until no longer pink. Lower heat.
- In a small bowl, whisk together soy sauce, oyster sauce and mirin. Add the sauce, eggplant and noodles to the skillet and stir until for about a minute until combined.
- Serve with chopped green onion and a sprinkle of sesame seeds!
