24 Delicious Eggplant Recipes You Can Enjoy All Year Long (2024)

FAQs

What is the most flavorful eggplant? ›

One of the most popular was the long, thin, purple eggplant from Taiwan known as Ping Tung. This is an exceptional eggplant with sweet, pleasant tasting flesh. The plants are incredibly prolific and produce throughout the entire season.

Eggplants are in peak season from July through October. One cup of cubed eggplant contains 20 calories, 3 grams of fiber, and 5 percent of your daily doses of both potassium and folate. It's rich in flavonoids like chlorogenic acid and caffeic acid which may help fight cancer and protect cells from damage.

Here's how to do it:Slice or cube the eggplant as desired. Sprinkle salt over the eggplant pieces and let them sit for about 30 minutes. Rinse the salted eggplant under running water to remove the salt. Pat dry with a clean towel before using in your recipe.

One of the secrets to cooking tender-but-never-mushy eggplant is salt. First, Stilo cuts her eggplant into the desired shape (rounds, cubes, planks, etc.), and then sprinkles the eggplant evenly with a generous amount of salt.

I tend to soak the slices in a bowl of water with a couple of tablespoon of salt for about 30-45 minutes. It doesn't have to do with bitterness, but I find that in doing this, the fried eggplant turns out less greasy," Jenkins says.

The secret for keeping the purple in eggplants is soaking it in vinegar for 5 minutes. This step is optional as it doesn't affect the taste, but if you are serving guests, soak the eggplant in 6 cups of water and 3 tbsp of vinegar for 5 minutes, and the eggplant will stay nice and purple even after steaming.

The healthiest cooking methods for eggplant include baking, grilling, or roasting. These methods require minimal added fats and help retain the vegetable's nutrients. Can eggplant be eaten raw? While eggplant can be eaten raw, it is not commonly done due to its slightly bitter taste and tough texture.

Eggplants are mature when the flesh is firm, and has a slight bounce to it when you touch it. If, when touched, a dent is left behind, the eggplant is too mature and should not be eaten. Eggplants can remain at room temperature for several days after harvesting.

Do you eat the purple skin on eggplant? ›

Aside from its green top, the entire eggplant is edible: its purple skin, its white flesh, and the tiny seeds inside. Eggplant contains protein, fiber, and a wide range of vitamins and minerals as well as some antioxidants. Eggplant should be cooked before eating.

There are no specific foods that you should avoid eating after consuming brinjal (eggplant). Brinjal is a versatile vegetable and can be consumed with a wide variety of foods. However, if you have any personal dietary restrictions or allergies, you should adhere to those guidelines.

It's likely just been exposed to air and is experiencing enzymatic browning. An eggplant with brown spots is not safe to eat if it contains bugs or mold or exhibits other signs of spoilage. It should be thrown out.

Bad eggplant looks wrinkly and dull-colored. Squishy texture and a rotten odor are other common signs of bad eggplant. Fresh eggplant lasts 2-3 days at room temperature, 5 days in the refrigerator, and 8-12 months in the freezer. Eggplant that turns brown after you slice it is okay to eat.

Chinese Eggplant

It has a lighter, almost pastel exterior, with a white flesh and sweeter taste that fits its appearance. The Chinese variety contains fewer seeds than globe eggplants, and are therefore less bitter.

Globe eggplant.

The most common eggplant variety in the US is the globe eggplant: this hefty variety has glossy, deep-purple skin and spongy fruit with many seeds. When cooked, globe eggplants can take on a meaty, savory flavor, and their thick skin makes them ideal for charring over open flames.

The Chinese eggplant — not to be confused with the similar-looking Japanese eggplant — has a long, narrow body with a light to mid-toned purple exterior and white flesh. Because it has fewer seeds that the familiar globe (American) variety, it's less bitter in taste.

Taste: in terms of taste, white eggplants are less bitter, creamier and denser. Their flavor is a bit more delicate and these differences are quite subtle. White eggplant is similar enough in taste to purple that they can be interchanged in any recipe.