Unagi nigiri, the classic eel sushi, is known for its silky texture and sweet savoury glaze. In this recipe, aubergine takes centre stage as the perfect plant based alternative. When brushed with homemade unagi sauce and caramelised in the pan, it transforms into tender slices with that familiar depth of flavour. The result is vegan unagi nigiri, a beautiful eggplant sushi that captures the spirit of the traditional dish without using fish.
Unagi Nigiri – At a Glance
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This vegan eel sushi works for any occasion, whether it is a simple dinner at home or part of a bigger spread for a gathering or special occasion. It's also a great addition to our favorite plant based sushi post. Serve it with sides such as Yasai Tempura, gyoza or yasai korokke, and enjoy with a Japanese beer or a refreshing yuzu cocktail.
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Ingredients for Vegan Unagi Nigiri
Serves 2 | Prep time 30 minutes | Cooking time 15 minutes
This is an overview of the ingredients along with my notes and guidance. For quantities see the recipe card. Here's what you will need:
- Aubergine (eggplant)
- Salt
- Japanese short-grain rice
- Rice vinegar
- Sugar
- Soy sauce
- Mirin
- Sake
- Sunflower oil (or another neutral oil)
- Nori sheets
- Sesame seeds
- Wasabi and pickled sushi ginger, for serving
Ingredient notes:
- Aubergine makes the perfect swap for traditional unagi. Choose one that is firm and medium-sized. Once glazed, it becomes tender and silky. If you enjoy aubergine, try our miso aubergine or aubergine katsu curry.
- Sushi rice is key for nigiri. Use short-grain Japanese rice and season lightly with vinegar, sugar, and salt. See our seasoned sushi rice recipe for step-by-step guidance.
- Unagi sauce is a quick glaze made from soy sauce, mirin, sake, and sugar. Homemade is fresher than bottled and gives the aubergine that deep caramelised flavour.
- Nori strips hold the nigiri together, while sesame seeds add a nutty finish.
- Serve with wasabi, pink pickled ginger, and soy sauce for a traditional touch.
How to Make Unagi Nigiri
Prepare the aubergine
- Peel the aubergine and slice it lengthwise into long, wide strips, about 1.5 cm thick. This shape mimics the look of traditional eel sushi and gives you silky layers once glazed.
- Place the slices into a colander, sprinkle generously with salt, and let them rest for 15-20 minutes. Salting removes excess moisture and bitterness so your vegan eel sushi has the right texture.
Make the unagi sauce
- While the aubergine rests, prepare the unagi sauce that will glaze it. Combine mirin, sake, sugar, and soy sauce in a small saucepan over low heat.
- Simmer gently for about 5 minutes, stirring until the sugar dissolves and the sauce thickens slightly. Set aside. This glossy sauce is what gives vegan unagi nigiri its signature sweet savoury flavour.
Cook the aubergine
First, rinse the salted aubergine slices under cold water, then squeeze them gently to remove moisture. The colour will turn pale green, which is a sign they are ready to cook.
- Heat sunflower oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Fry the aubergine slices until browned evenly on each side.
- Pour the unagi sauce over the aubergine and turn the slices often so they soak up the glaze without burning. Cook until the sauce is absorbed and the aubergine looks caramelised and glossy, just like classic unagi.
Top tip: Cook the aubergine until the exterior is golden and slightly caramelised. This creates a balance between the sweetness and umami. Each piece of your vegan 'eel' should be lightly seared to help lock in the flavours.
- Set the glazed aubergine aside to cool. Cooling helps the slices firm up so they sit neatly on the nigiri rice.
Prepare the sushi rice
We're nearly there. It's time to season our cooked sushi rice and then we can assemble the unagi nigiri.
- Make the sushi seasoning by combining vinegar, sugar, and salt in a small pan over low heat. Stir gently until everything dissolves completely.
- Fold the seasoning into your cooked Japanese short-grain rice. Work lightly so you don't crush the grains. Fluffy but sticky rice is the base for any good vegan nigiri.
Shape and assemble the sushi
Bringing all the components together is so satisfying, this is my favorite part! Shaping the rice, topping it with the glazed aubergine, and seeing your homemade vegan nigiri take form is always rewarding. Let's roll, assemble, and get it ready to serve.
- Cut the cooled aubergine into strips about 2-3 cm (1 inch) wide.
- Use kitchen scissors to cut the nori into thin strips (about 1 cm by 10 cm). These will hold the sushi together.
- Lay out your essentials: sushi rice, aubergine strips, nori strips, a bowl of water for your hands, and sesame seeds for garnish.
- Wet your hands lightly (not dripping) and take a ping-pong-ball-sized amount of rice in your non-dominant hand. Gently press it into a small oblong for nigiri.
Top tip: When preparing nigiri, you want your hands to be damp but not dripping wet. By keeping your hands slightly moist, the rice won't stick excessively, allowing you to form each piece with more precision and ease.
- With your other hand, gently pinch the top and bottom of the rice between your thumb and fingers. This compacts the grains lightly so the nigiri holds its shape.
- Roll the rice gently to round the edges and create a smooth oblong, like a small sausage. Set the nigiri shape aside and continue with the rest of the rice, repeating until all portions are shaped into neat nigiri bases
- Place an aubergine strip on top of each rice ball.
- Wrap a nori strip around the middle to hold the rice and aubergine together. The sticky rice will help seal the nori in place.
- Arrange the finished nigiri on a serving plate, or on a larger platter if making for a group. Sprinkle sesame seeds evenly over the top for garnish and extra flavour.
- Serve your vegan eel sushi with a small dish of soy sauce, a dab of wasabi, and slices of pickled ginger.
How to Serve Vegan Unagi Nigiri
For an extra flourish, lightly torch the glazed aubergine before assembly. It adds a smoky note and makes the vegan unagi nigiri look even closer to the real thing.
For the freshest flavour, make your own pink pickled ginger to serve alongside. It adds colour to the plate and tastes beautiful with the aubergine.
Other sides and drinks that pair beautifully with vegan unagi nigiri:
- Vegan tempura
- Mushroom gyoza
- Yasai korokke
- A refreshing yuzu cocktail
- One of our favorite Japanese beers
Substitutions
To make vegan eel sushi completely gluten free, swap soy sauce for tamari or coconut aminos. Both give the same rich, savoury depth and dark colour as soy sauce, making them excellent alternatives.
Variations
You can easily change up the topping for your vegan nigiri:
- Tofu or jackfruit: Marinated tofu or smoky jackfruit both have great texture and soak up flavour beautifully.
- Classic options: Try creamy avocado, pickled radish, or roasted sweet potato.
- Creative twists: Spicy mango sauce, cashew cream, or crispy tempura vegetables work well as extra toppings.
- Mediterranean inspired: Sun dried tomatoes, tahini, and roasted peppers make a bold and tasty combination.
We are always testing new ideas and have some new nigiri recipes coming soon. Let us know what we should try next!
Equipment
A sharp pair of kitchen scissors is essential for cutting nori cleanly, as it can tear easily. A simple bamboo sushi mat is also worth having. It does not need to be expensive, but it gives you the structure you need to shape rolls and nigiri neatly. Silicone mats are not recommended, as they are too flimsy and make shaping harder.
Storage
Vegan eel sushi is best eaten fresh, when the rice is fluffy and the aubergine glaze is at its best. If you have leftovers, store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator and eat within 24 hours. Freezing is not recommended, as it changes the texture of both the rice and aubergine.
Unagi Nigiri FAQs
Instead of eel, this recipe uses aubergine (eggplant) glazed in homemade unagi sauce. Once caramelised, it has a silky texture and sweet savoury flavour similar to traditional eel sushi.
Yes. By swapping eel for aubergine, tofu, or even mushrooms, you can recreate the same style of nigiri with a plant based twist. The key is the unagi sauce, which gives this sushi its signature taste.
Aubergine is the most popular, but avocado, pickled radish, roasted sweet potato, and marinated tofu all make delicious toppings for vegan nigiri.
Traditional eel sauce often contains fish, but this recipe makes it fully vegan with soy sauce, mirin, sake, and sugar. It has the same glossy, sweet savoury finish.
Yes. Simply replace soy sauce with tamari or coconut aminos when making the unagi glaze and sushi rice seasoning.
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📖 Recipe
Vegan Unagi Nigiri (Eggplant Eel Sushi)
Ingredients
For the 'Eel':
- 1 medium eggplant
- 1 tablespoons salt just enough to salt the eggplant
For the Sushi Rice:
- 550 g cooked and seasoned sushi rice seasoned sushi rice recipe
For the Unagi Sauce:
- 2 tablespoons mirin
- 2 teaspoons sake
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon sunflower oil or any other neutral cooking oil
For presentation and serving:
- 1 sheet nori cut into thin strips
- 1 teaspoon sesame seeds (for garnish)
- Wasabi, sushi ginger, and soy sauce (for serving)
Instructions cook mode
Cook and prep the sushi rice
- Get your rice on first - I've got a full guide covering both rice cooker and stovetop methods if you need it. Whilse it's cooking, crack on with the steps below and then season it just before you're ready to shape and assemble; timing it right makes all the difference.
Prepare the aubergine
- Peel the aubergine and slice into long strips, about a half inch thick
- Place the slices in a colander, sprinkle with salt, and leave for 15-20 minutes to draw out excess moisture and bitterness.
Make the unagi sauce
- In a small saucepan, combine mirin, sake, sugar, and soy sauce.
- Simmer over low heat for 5 minutes until slightly thickened, then set aside.
Cook the aubergine
- Rinse the salted aubergine and gently squeeze out the water.
- Heat oil in a frying pan and cook the slices until browned on both sides.
- Add the unagi sauce and cook until the aubergine is glazed and the liquid absorbed. Set aside to cool.
Shape and assemble
- Cut the cooled aubergine into strips about 2-3 cm wide.
- Cut nori into thin strips (about 1 × 10 cm).
- Wet your hands lightly and take a small ball of rice in one hand. Shape it into a neat oblong for nigiri, then set aside. Repeat until all the rice is shaped.
- For each nigiri rice base: Place an aubergine strip on top, then wrap with a strip of nori to hold it together.
- Arrange the finished nigiri on a plate, sprinkle with sesame seeds, and serve with soy sauce, wasabi, and pickled ginger.
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