5 Ways to Cook Eggplant

2024 Author: Jason Gerald | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 10:50

Eggplant is a vitamin-rich, high-fiber fruit (technically an eggplant is a fruit) that often appears in South American, Italian, Chinese and Persian recipes. When roasted, eggplant has a firm and satisfying texture that makes it a popular meat substitute in vegetarian dishes. Read on to learn how to cook eggplant using five popular methods, namely frying, sautéing, broiling, grilling and boiling.

Step

Method 1 of 5: Fried Eggplant

Step 1. Wash the eggplant and slice about 1.25 cm thick

Step 2. Place the eggplant on a paper towel-lined plate, and sprinkle the eggplant slices with salt

Let stand for about 15 minutes, until the eggplant releases its liquid. Wipe the eggplant slices dry with a paper towel, then turn over, and repeat drying the other side.

Step 3. Prepare a dough made of 1 cup flour, 1/4 cup cornstarch, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and teaspoon pepper

Mix the ingredients together in a shallow bowl. Increase the amount of ingredients for a larger amount of eggplant, and add more or less spices to taste.

Step 4. In a separate small bowl, beat an egg or two

Add more eggs if you fry more eggplant.

Step 5. Heat the cooking oil in a large skillet or Dutch oven (pot with lid, cast iron) to 176.6°C

• Put the oil up to 0.6 cm high in the pan or enough to make the eggplant float in the pan.

  

• Peanut oil, canola oil, or vegetable oil are great choices for frying. Do not use olive oil, as it cannot be heated to high temperatures.

  

Step 6. Prepare the eggplants one by one

Dip the eggplant pieces into the egg mixture, then coat with the flour mixture.

• Tap the eggplant slices on the edge of the flour bowl to remove excess flour.

  

• Make sure each piece is completely floured.

  

• For a thicker flour mixture, coat each eggplant slice in the egg and flour, then repeat in the egg and flour a second time.

Step 7. Use tongs to dip the batter-coated eggplant slices into the hot cooking oil

• Don't overfill the pan. Fry the eggplant in one layer at a time (don't let it pile up), and repeat with the next dish if there are still eggplants that haven't been fried.

  

Step 8. Let the eggplant slices cook until they are brown on one side

After that turn and wait until the other side is also browned.

Step 9. Remove the fried eggplant and drain the oil

Drain on a plate lined with tissue paper.

Step 10. Serve the fried eggplant immediately with the sauce of your choice

• Fried eggplant will be soggy and mushy if left too long. Therefore it should be eaten immediately while it is still hot.

  

• Try serving fried eggplant with marinara or tzatziki sauce.

  

Method 2 of 5: Stir-fried Eggplant

Step 1. Wash the eggplant, peel it, and cut it into bite-sized pieces or dice

Step 2. Place the eggplant pieces on a plate lined with paper towels and sprinkle with salt

Let it sit for about 15 minutes until the eggplant oozes out. Pat the eggplant dry with a paper towel, flip it over, and repeat to dry the other side.

Step 3. Heat some cooking oil in a deep frying pan or a shallow frying pan

• Stir frying is done using a small amount of oil. Use no more than a tablespoon of oil.

  

• Heat the oil until very hot, ideally until just before smoking.

  

Step 4. Add the eggplant and other ingredients of your choice, such as chopped onions, peas, or carrots

Step 5. Season the stir fry with a pinch of salt and pepper

Step 6. Continue to stir the eggplant and other ingredients quickly with a spatula or spoon until cooked and lightly browned

Step 7. Serve with white rice or brown rice

Method 3 of 5: Grilled Eggplant

Step 1. Wash the eggplant and slice lengthwise 2.5 cm thick

Step 2. Place the eggplant on a plate lined with paper towels and sprinkle with salt

Let it sit for about 15 minutes until the eggplant oozes out. Pat the eggplant dry with a paper towel, flip it over, and repeat to dry the other side.

Step 3. Using a cooking brush, brush both sides of the eggplant slices with olive oil

Step 4. Sprinkle the spices of your choice

Consider cumin, paprika, or garlic powder in addition to a pinch of salt and pepper.

Step 5. Place the oiled eggplant slices on the grill over medium heat

• It can also be roasted in a broiler (grill over high heat) in your oven.

  

Step 6. Grill the eggplant slices for about 3 minutes each side

The eggplant is ripe when the flesh is soft and the edges are brown and crispy.

Step 7. Lift the eggplant slices with a spatula onto a plate

Method 4 of 5: Roasted Eggplant

Step 1. Preheat the oven to 190ºC

Step 2. Wash the eggplant and slice it into 2.5 cm thick pieces

• Eggplants can be halved, cut into large chunks, or made into fan shapes for roasting.

  

• Generally, the skin on one side when the eggplant is split can be useful as a barrier so that the eggplant does not crumble after cooking, because the flesh of the fruit can be soft and break easily.

  

• Eggplant is usually peeled first if it is going to be cut into pieces for use in recipes, such as for sauteing, etc.

  

Step 3. Grease an ovenproof container or baking sheet with olive oil

Place the eggplant pieces deep in it, and arrange so that none of them pile up.

Step 4. Bake the eggplant until the edges and top are brown, which is about 20 minutes

Step 5. Remove the baked eggplant from the oven and serve hot

Method 5 of 5: Boiled Eggplant

Step 1. Wash, peel and cut the eggplant into small/large pieces

Or you may want to boil an unpeeled whole eggplant.

Step 2. Bring water to a boil in a saucepan on the stove

• Use 2 parts water to 1 part eggplant.

  

• If you are boiling the eggplant whole, use enough water to completely submerge the eggplant.

Step 3. Add eggplant slices or whole eggplant into the boiling water

• If you're boiling the eggplant whole, make a few holes in the skin of the eggplant before you add it to the water to prevent the eggplant from bursting.

  

Step 4. Cook in slow simmering water until the eggplant softens, about 8-15 minutes

Step 5. Season the eggplant with salt, pepper and other spices according to your taste

Tips

• Eggplant besides being called an eggplant is also sometimes referred to as aubergine in old cookbooks and recipes.
• Salting the eggplant before cooking it serves to eliminate the bitter taste, especially for old eggplant.
• Try grilled eggplant instead of burgers.
• Eggplants go well with vegetables such as tomatoes, onions, and peppers, as well as with spices such as allspice (a type of pepper), garlic, oregano, basil, and chili powder.
• The secret to frying eggplant well is to prepare everything beforehand, heat the pan properly, and fry each eggplant slice as soon as it is dipped in the flour mixture.