How To Cook Eggplant Dishes

Eggplant, also known as aubergine and brinjal, is a vegetable that has a rich, chewy texture. Native to India and Sri Lanka, the vegetable has a delicious, meaty-taste. However, it was introduced to the Western world only in the 15th century. Eggplant is also associated with a number of health benefits, one of them being that it helps lower high blood cholesterol. It can be made in a wide variety of ways - fried, put into soups, casseroles and even stuffed. In the following lines, we have listed some easy eggplant recipes. Go through them and use the one you find the most suitable for your liking.

How To Cook Eggplant Dishes

There are different varieties of eggplants, which you should acquaint yourself with, before you start cooking them. While the most common one is globe eggplant, you can also find thinner Italian eggplant, Chinese eggplant, Japanese eggplant and Indian eggplant.
Only the large eggplants, and at times globe eggplants, need to be salted, as they might turn out to be bitter. For the purpose, you need to slice them into rounds and sprinkle with salt. Put them in a colander, for 20 to 30 minutes. Thereafter, rinse them thoroughly and chop.
You can fry the eggplant. Put some olive oil in a pan and after it gets hot, fry the eggplant for 5 to 7 minutes per side, or until the pieces/slices turn brown and tender. Since an eggplant absorbs oil easily, it is advisable not to use too much.
You can also grill eggplant. Lightly oil the pieces/slices and grill them, over medium to medium-high heat, for 10 minutes per side or until they turn brown and tender.
Broiling the eggplant is another option. Broil lightly oiled eggplant pieces/slices for about 5 minutes per side or until they become brown and tender.
You can cook eggplant with tomatoes, garlic and herbs, such as basil, parsley and mint. Put some oil in a pan and after it gets hot, put garlic. Sauté the garlic for a few seconds and add tomatoes. After the tomatoes become tender, add the herbs and eggplant pieces/slices. Cook till the eggplant becomes tender.
In case you want to make a classic Chinese dish, put some oil in a pan and add garlic. Sauté it for a few seconds and add red chili, along with some ground pork. After the pork become tender, add eggplant pieces/slices. Cook till the eggplant becomes tender.
Take a whole eggplant and cut slits in it. Stuff a few slices of garlic into each slit. Put the eggplant in the oven and set the temperature to 400-degree. Roast for 40 to 60 minutes. Thereafter, peel the eggplant and chop it or mash into a puree.

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