Like most other Japanese wives, my mother made a lot of different homemade tsukemono. Most types of tsukemono were lightly salted or pickled. This eggplant is marinated in a mixture of mustard, mirin, sake and sugar. The result is very intense but flavorful. It marinates quickly. You can make it in the morning and enjoy it at dinner.

My mother would double the sauce ingredients, and you can the same.

Lillian’s Nasu Karashizuke
1-2 lbs. long Japanese eggplants
2 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
2 Tbsp. mirin, sweet cooking wine
2 Tbsp. sake
2 Tbsp. sugar or more to taste
2 tsp. dry mustard powder, or more to taste
2 tsp. water

Wash eggplants and slice about 1/8” thick. Sprinkle them with about 2 tsp. salt, toss and set aside for about one hour. Squeeze out the liquid.

Make a paste of mustard with water. Mix all of the seasonings in a covered jar. Let this sit for several hours; shake jar to coat all the eggplant slices. Allow this to marinate in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours.