Season: SPRING
Around the globe, eggplant is known by different names, such as aubergine and brinjal. When I moved to the United States, it was the first time I saw huge Italian eggplants.
Back home in India, they have a much smaller variety of eggplants, and in East Asian markets, I had seen the long slender eggplants. Over the years, I had to change the proportion and the way I cook with Italian eggplants, and now I seem to be doing a good job, if I may say so myself.
I am told that the skin of the eggplant is its most nutritious part, so unless I am making Roasted Eggplant Curry (Baingan Bharta), I tend always to use the skin. One thing to remember when cooking with eggplant is that it is spongy, and it will absorb a lot of oil if you are deep-frying OR sautéing it.
While cooking, I prefer sautéing eggplant on high heat, and if possible, coating the eggplant slices with egg-wash before I saute it; I have seen that this helps it keep its shape and absorb less oil. There are many ways to cook eggplant:
- Eggplant Curry
- Grilled or Saute
- Using Eggplant as Lasagna sheets
- Eggplant Parmesan, yum!
- Fried Eggplant
- Eggplant Dip
- Stuffed Eggplant
- Moussaka
Regardless of how you cook your eggplant, make sure you season it well. If possible, season with salt and set it aside on a wire rack to let the bitter water drain; pat with paper towels to dry it off before cooking with it.
Checkout our Eggplant Chutney, made with real eggplant and spices, it is a great condiment to your every day meal. Here are some of our recipes on how to cook with eggplant:
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