Name: Simple Pickled Japanese Eggplant Recipe
Prep time: 5 min
Total time: 15 min
Ingredients: 3 Eggplant (medium size, 300g); ½ tsp Salt; 1 Tbsp Rice Vinegar; 1 tsp Soy Sauce; 1 tsp Sesame oil

4.86 from 7 votes

JUMP TO RECIPE & VIDEO

Looking for a Japanese eggplant recipe? Try this easy and quick Pickled Japanese Eggplant. In just 15 minutes, you’ll have a refreshing side dish ready to enjoy!

Looking for simple eggplant dishes? Try my Eggplant Teriyaki, Eggplant Tempura, and Sauteed Japanese Eggplant With Ponzu Sauce!

I’ll walk you through the ingredients and step-by-step instructions. I hope you enjoy it!

Why You Will Love This Recipe

This pickled Japanese eggplant recipe is quick and ready to serve in under 15 minutes.
There’s no need to prepare a pickling liquid; simply add salt and seasoning.
This refreshing side dish requires only 5 ingredients, keeping things simple and straightforward.

Japanese Eggplants

Japanese eggplants are slim and long. Their thin skin makes them perfect for quick cooking methods like stir-frying, deep-frying, and sautéing. This allows them to absorb flavors easily and stay tender.

Recipe Ingredients

You’ll need the following ingredients to make this Pickled Eggplant Recipe:

Ingredients for pickled Japanese eggplant.

Japanese Eggplants: You can usually find Japanese eggplants at Japanese grocery stores or Asian grocery stores. However, if they are not available, Chinese eggplant makes the best substitute.
Salt is used to draw out excess moisture from the eggplants during pickling.
Soy Sauce, rice vinegar, and sesame oil add delicious flavor. If you don’t have rice vinegar, you can use apple cider vinegar or white vinegar as substitutes. While olive oil or vegetable oil can be used, I recommend sesame oil for the best flavor.

How To Make Pickled Eggplant: STEP BY STEP

Here are some quick visual instructions! For the video and all the detailed ingredients and instructions, go to the printable recipe card below.

Step 1

Place the sliced eggplants and salt in a plastic bag.

Step 2

Combine them and rest for about 10 minutes.

Step 3

Squeeze and remove the excess moisture.

Step 4

Transfer the eggplant to an airtight container. Add the seasonings and toss until well-coated.

Pickled Japanese eggplant served on a plate.

Lastly, transfer the pickled Japanese eggplant onto a serving plate and enjoy these delicious pickles, perfect for the summer season!

Recipe Tips

Use fresh and firm eggplant for the best results.
To customize the taste, feel free to experiment with additional flavors, such as red pepper flakes, grated ginger, and toasted sesame seeds.
Over time, the eggplants naturally develop a brown color, which is normal because of the vegetable’s polyphenols.

Storage

Pickled Japanese eggplant is in a food container.

Transfer the pickled Japanese eggplant into an airtight container. It can be fresh and flavorful for 2-3 days.

What To Serve With

To complement this pickled Japanese eggplant, I recommend serving it with Kombu Onigiri, Tofu Miso Soup, Tamagoyaki, and Sunomono Salad (Japanese Cucumber Salad)!

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Leave a Rating!

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Simple Pickled Japanese Eggplant Recipe

4.86 from 7 votes

Print Pin Save

Prep: 5

Resting Time: 10

Total: 15

Servings: 4 servings

Author: Juri Austin

Looking for a Japanese eggplant recipe? Try this easy and quick Pickled Japanese Eggplant. In just 15 minutes, you'll have a refreshing side dish ready to enjoy!

Ingredients

Instructions

Cut the eggplants into thin slices.
Place the sliced eggplants and salt in a plastic bag and gently massage them to blend them well.
Close the bag and let the eggplant slices rest for about 10 minutes.
Make a hole in the bag and squeeze the eggplant slices to remove the excess moisture.
Transfer the eggplant slices to a mixing bowl, add rice vinegar, soy sauce, and sesame oil to toss until well coated.

Video

Notes

Storage: Transfer the pickled Japanese eggplant into an airtight container. It can be fresh and flavorful for 2-3 days.
Use fresh and firm Japanese eggplants for the best results.
To customize the taste, feel free to experiment with additional flavors, such as red pepper flakes, grated ginger, and toasted sesame seeds.
Over time, the eggplants naturally develop a brown color, which is normal because of the vegetable’s polyphenols.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 96kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 4g

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: Japanese

Keyword: pickled eggplant

Did You Make this recipe?Please Leave a star rating!

4.86 from 7 votes (5 ratings without comment)

4 Comments

Sarah says:

Nov 4, 2024 at 12:55 AM

A very good summer salad recipe! Easy to make, the hardest part being the 10 minutes waiting for the eggplants to sweat!

1. Juri Austin says:
  
  Nov 4, 2024 at 5:52 AM
  
  Thank you for trying the recipe!
  
Linda says:

Nov 5, 2023 at 7:39 AM

Lucky to find beautiful & fresh Japanese eggplant at Mitsuwa in San Diego. Thank you for sharing this recipe. So easy, delicious and nutrious.

1. Juri Austin says:
  
  Nov 5, 2023 at 4:48 PM
  
  You are welcome, Linda! Thank you for trying the recipe!

Simple Pickled Japanese Eggplant Recipe