Aubergine to Europeans, eggplant to Americans or brinjal to Asians: by whichever name you know this versatile vegetable, its wide range of uses may yet surprise you.
Some Things You Didn’t Know
Although eggplant can grow quite large, it is actually defined as a berry. It belongs to the nightshade family, making it cousins with the tomato, the potato and the chilli.
Aside from its exciting color, eggplant also carries a wide variety of vitamins and minerals, such as the B vitamins, Vitamin C, E and K, Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, Manganese, Phosphorus, Potassium and Zinc, although none in very high quantities.
Eggplant contains chlorogenic acid or CGA, which offers some undercover health benefits. It is an antioxidant, antibacterial, antiviral and antimicrobial. CGA also helps to protect the liver, heart and nervous system.
Every Time
When preparing eggplant for cooking, the most essential step is to sweat the vegetable with salt before using it. This will help to pull out the bitterness.
You may want to cut the plant lengthways into big, broad tiles, or cube it in small squares, or slice it into thin strips. Whatever your method, after chopping, coat the surface area of each individual piece of eggplant by tossing them with salt in a colander (for drainage). You can use coarse or fine salt.
Leave it to sit for 15 to 20 minutes. Cover it with a breathable cloth to allow airflow but keep out insects. The smell of open fruit might draw flies or gnats (remember never to use aerosol pesticides, as eggplant is a spongy, absorbent fruit, and it will hold any residue from a spray. Rather, consider using a non-aerosol solution to kill gnats in house, which is safer for children and pets).
Once the eggplant has sweated it out, rinse off the salt and cook. Here are some popular dishes that are easy to make and delicious to eat.
Baba Ganoush
Roast the eggplant, mash it up, and add pepper, a dash of extra virgin olive oil, crushed garlic (more or less according to preference), a squeeze or two of fresh lemon juice and a tablespoon or two of tahini, which is a sesame seed-based condiment.
Serve this as a snack, starter or appetizer with naan or pita bread, olives and tomatoes.
Melanzane
Coat the sliced eggplant in a batter of flour, salt and pepper, and tap gently to release any excess flour. Pan-fry the slices until they are tender, and serve as a snack or starter with a Napoli sauce (tomato, garlic and basil), or serve in any other number of ways with cheeses, poultry, fish or veg. Eggplant is an excellent substitute for meat, so it can be served as a main dish, as well as a side serving.
The slices come out quite crispy, so they should be eaten as soon as possible after cooking. Ensure the rest of your dish is ready to go.
Barbeque Buddies
Add cubed eggplant and other vegetables like mushrooms, onions, bell peppers and asparagus into a pan with butter, garlic, a wet leaf marsala, salt and pepper. They should be about the size of a one inch cube.
Toss the veg and spices in the pan until everything is coated in the spicy buttery mixture. Then allow it all to marinade in a bowl for half an hour (again, remembering to cover with a breathable cloth to prevent insects being drawn into the mixture).
Add the veg pieces onto a skewer and barbeque them on a slow flame until the eggplant is cooked. All of the other vegetables can be eaten raw, so it’s simpler just to focus on the eggplant.
Brinjal Biltong
Biltong is a form of spiced, dried red meat originating in South Africa. In keeping with a meat-free menu, eggplant can be substituted for meat, and because it is an absorbent fruit, it makes the perfect vegetarian alternative to biltong, with a similar texture and flavor.
The eggplant should be sliced quite thickly, as it will dry down to roughly two thirds of its original size. So aim for three quarter to one inch pieces.
Make up a blend of spices which includes crushed coriander seeds, coarse salt, black and red pepper, and vinegar to bind up the dry ingredients. You can also add dried chillies, if you’re feeling frisky. Biltong spice recipes can be a closely-guarded family secret in South African circles. If you enjoy making and eating biltong, you can experiment with a few other spices to find your own unique and secret combination.
Rub the spice mixture into the eggplant, skewer the pieces and hang them in a drying box or cupboard. Wherever you hang the biltong needs to be insect-free and as dry as possible. Keep an eye on the slices. They should be ready in a couple of days, with natural air drying, or sooner with a drying box.