Eggplant Recipes

[JohnF]

Ciao Julianna

I'm glad you liked it. It's my wifes favorite use for eggplant. She prefers the texture of the chopped eggplant but either way it also freezes well so it can be enjoyed in the middle of winter.

[Sorellina]

Ciao John,

Bless you for reading my mind...that was my next question! I asked a woman at a farmer's market we visited yesterday whether I could freeze Baba Ghanouj, but she wasn't sure. She tended to think not because eggplant is so watery and fragile, so your testimonial that it indeed CAN be frozen is a huge relief, to say the least. I've been harvesting anywhere between 5-10 eggplants a day and there's no end in sight. That's a good thing, however, because I'll want them even more once the tomatoes come in.

Thank you thank you thank you!

[JohnF]

You are welcome. Although the baba freezes well, plain eggplant does not do as well and comes out pretty mushy. Fortunately the Baba Ghanouj uses up a lot of eggplants.

[Grub]

I just read through this. Boy, do I need an eggplant fix. Off to check seed stash for the summer ahead. Can't wait. Thanks for your inspiration. Bon appetite

[tjg911]

i don't have a grill and don't like to use the oven especially in the summer. I found a simple way to use the excessive number of fruits my 3 Cloud Nine plants are cranking out. Basicly, this is Baba Ghanouj BUT without having to use the oven. My oven is used perhaps 10-12 times a year, only in the winter, and I don't want to be heating up the house when I'm running the A/C so this is just the ticket for me.

I sauted diced eggplant in a bit of olive oil in a covered non stick frying pan on medium heat, this takes about 5-10 minutes depending upon how small the dice is, until it is soft. I mashed it and then added tahini, garlic, cumin, salt and lemon juice all to taste.

Now this was fabulous! I wonder how the taste may differ doing this vs baking it? I couldn't possibly eat 1/2 of all the fruits I'm growing until I thought of this, not using the oven that is. Not rocket science but like I said it's basicly making Baba Ghanouj on top of the stove. And now I hope those 3 plants can now produce enough to satify me!

Great news too, I read here that Baba Ghanouj freezes well! I may grow 6 plants next year.

Tom

[Fert1]

This weekend I hosted a cooking party, with an Indian/Middle Eastern theme. A local Indian restaurant we have makes killer eggplant, so I decided to attempt something similar. It must have been good, because a huge pan of it disappeared. Considering that eggplant isn't the most popular vegetable in the world, that's saying something.

I found an eggplant curry recipe that I used as a base, but improvised. (I always improvise.)

I sauteed a diced Vadalia onion with half a garlic bulb in some Canola Oil, then I added peeled, chopped eggplant, (3 of the long skinny ones), 1 cup plain yogurt, and spices. I used about 1/2 the curry powder called for, because I am not a huge fan of curry, then I added cumin, corriander (seed + leaves), fenugreek, and garam masala to taste, with a small amount of red chili powder. I also added salt to taste.

I'm the sort of person who doesn't cook strictly by recipes, I will taste it, then add a little this and that, and keep tasting it until it meets with my approval. I cooked it until it was tender. I don't like my eggplant overcooked or too mushy, but I want it tender.

It must have been good, the way everyone tore into it. I thought it was pretty good, if I do say so myself. I will probably make it again sometime, now that I know how to do it. The eggplant itself was a little bitter, but by the time I added everything to it, it wasn't much noticeable. Is there anything to do to keep it from being bitter? Anything you can soak it in, etc.? I didn't grow it, just purchased it.

EDITED TO ADD ORIGINAL RECIPE
Keep in mind that I changed it to suit myself.


INGREDIENTS
1 large eggplant (I used 3 Asian eggplants)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon ginger garlic paste
1 tablespoon curry powder
1 tomato, diced
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1 fresh jalapeno chile pepper, finely chopped
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 bunch cilantro, finely chopped
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C).
Place eggplant on a medium baking sheet. Bake 20 to 30 minutes in the preheated oven, until tender. Remove from heat, cool, peel, and chop.
Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Mix in cumin seeds and onion. Cook and stir until onion is tender.
Mix ginger garlic paste, curry powder, and tomato into the saucepan, and cook about 1 minute. Stir in yogurt. Mix in eggplant and jalapeno pepper, and season with salt. Cover, and cook 10 minutes over high heat. Remove cover, reduce heat to low, and continue cooking about 5 minutes. Garnish with cilantro to serve.

[Fert1]

I've gotten requests to post my eggplant recipes. So here is another one that I use. It's modeled after the eggplant that PF Chang's makes. Like everything, I adjusted it to my own liking. I leave out the sugar and corn starch, use less Oyster Sauce and more Black Bean Sauce, Soy Sauce and garlic. I serve it over steamed rice. Here is the recipe as I found it:


Spicy Eggplant

1 pound Asian eggplant, peeled, cut into 1-inch dice
1 teaspoon garlic
1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons water to make a paste
Canola oil or Peanut oil for deep-frying

Spicy Sauce
2 tablespoons vegetarian oyster sauce (or substitute oyster sauce)
2 tablespoons Lite soy sauce
2 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 teaspoon chili paste (Sambal Oleck preferred)
1/2 teaspoon ground bean sauce (Koon Chun preferred)
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil

Combine all Spicy Sauce ingredients and mix well.

In a wok, deep-fry eggplant at 350 degrees F for 1 minute. Remove eggplant and drain on paper towels.

Meanwhile remove all but 1/2 teaspoon of oil from wok. On high heat, stir-fry garlic for 5 seconds then add Spicy Sauce. Reduce heat and let sauce simmer 20 seconds. Add eggplant and simmer for another 10 seconds. Stir in cornstarch paste a little at a time until desired consistency. Serve immediately.

[Lomatia]

Had an eggplant and potato curry tonight. Got the recipe from chef2chef and added french beans as well as the peas suggested in the recipe.

[Grub]

Trying this in the next day or so... like this low-fat version on paper...

EGGPLANT LASAGNA
SERVES 6 to 8
This was another experiment that turned out to be a success. I had eggplant to use and I wanted to try the instant no-boil lasagna sheets. I made it something like a traditional lasagna using the eggplant in place of meat. It is so good and it's lighter than its counterpart. If you can't find no-boil lasagna sheets, just use regular. If they are available, try them. It's a lot less work and mess.
INGREDIENTS
Sauce
-1. 3 tablespoons olive oil
-1. 1 medium onion, finely chopped
-1. 4 large cloves garlic, minced
-1. 2 cans (14.5 ounces each) whole tomatoes, crushed with juices
-1. 1 can (15 ounces) crushed tomatoes
-1. 1/2 cup dry red wine
-1. 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil (1 teaspoon dried)
-1. 1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano (2 teaspoons dried)
-1. 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley (1 tablespoon dried)
-1. Salt and pepper to taste
Eggplant
-1. 2 large eggplants, sliced into 1/4-inch slices
-1. Olive oil
Ricotta Cheese Mixture
-1. 2 cups part-skim ricotta cheese
-1. 1 large egg
-1. 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley (1 tablespoon dried)
-1. Salt and pepper to taste
Other Ingredients
-1. 3/4 pound instant no-boil lasagna sheets (see notes below)
-1. 12 ounces mozarella cheese, grated
-1. 3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
For the sauce: Heat the olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the onions and sauté until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté another minute. Add the tomatoes, wine and seasonings. Reduce heat; cover partially and simmer for about 20 minutes until slightly thickened, stirring occasionally. Taste for seasonings and set aside.
For the eggplant: Lightly brush both sides of the eggplant slices with olive oil. Roast, broil or grill until lightly browned on both sides and softened. Set aside.
For the ricotta cheese mixture: Place the cheese in a strainer or colander and let set for about 45 minutes to drain and discard liquids. Transfer the cheese to a medium bowl. Add the egg, parsley, salt and pepper; mix until well combined. Set aside.
To assemble: If necessary, soften the lasagna sheets in warm or hot water according to package directions. Place on a platter, being certain they will not stick together. Preheat the oven to 375° F. Lightly grease a 13x9x2-inch baking dish with olive oil or olive oil spray. Place enough sauce in the bottom of the dish to cover lightly. Place a single layer of lasagna sheets on top of sauce. Layer 1/3 of the eggplant on top of the pasta, followed by 1/3 of the ricotta mixture and 1/4 of the remaining sauce, mozarella and finally Parmesan. Repeat the layers 3 times, ending with a layer of pasta. Cover the top with sauce being certain to spread all over, then the remaining cheeses. Cover tightly with foil. Bake for 25 minutes; remove foil and bake an additional 10 to 15 minutes or until bubbly and lightly browned. If lasagna browns too much before it's hot, tent with the foil for the remaining time. Remove from oven and let stand 10 minutes before cutting.
Notes: No-boil lasagna sheets come in various sizes and shapes depending on the brand. You can more accurately judge how many sheets you will need once you measure them. Some noodles take longer to cook, depending on the need to be soaked or not, maybe twice as long. Always check the box and plan accordingly. Use your favorite homemade sauce or, in a pinch, a good quality jarred sauce. You need at least 4 cups of cooked sauce in all, depending on how 'saucy' you like your lasagna. It's best to have more than enough. Excess can be refrigerated or frozen for later use.

[Volvo]

And here's a simple one fer ya..
Cut some thick slices of your eggplant sideways not lengthways so they fit in a sanga(Sandwitch)between two slices of buttered bread nicely..
Roll in flour and fry in oil till they just go brown n crispy ..
Heaps n heaps of salt and lay between the bread slices and hog into whilst still nice n hot...
OH !!!!! What a feeling ...
Nice i can tellya ..

[Volvo]

Just cut another five today and HEAPS of newbies all over each plant ...

[Zana]

Ok this is definitely a tasty way to prepare it....and it disappears around here when I do make it. Hmmmm....I might just have to make some tomorrow. ;-)
~Zana~

NY Times - The Minimalist
Eggplant, at Its Best


By MARK BITTMAN
Published: July 5, 2006

OF all the ways you can prepare eggplant — and that's a long list — grilling is among the best. It's so fast and easy, and the results are so reliably good, that it makes sense to grill some eggplant whenever you've got the grill going. That's because grilled eggplant is also terrific at room temperature.

Related

Recipe: Grilled Eggplant Salad With Yogurt (July 5, 2006)

This dish is a creamy and mild eggplant salad made with a quick dressing of yogurt and seasonings. You can grill the eggplant half an hour before you serve the salad, or a half a day (or longer) ahead; it doesn't matter much at all.

I use a slightly sophisticated grilling technique here: exposing the eggplant's flesh, covering it with onion and garlic, and closing it up again before grilling. But you could also use unadorned grilled eggplant, with just a little more spice in the dressing, and you'd be happy.

Though grilling can compensate for inferior eggplant, you're better off starting with the slender lavender or other smaller varieties; these are found in Asian markets and often elsewhere. Look for firm and unwrinkled specimens. Farmers' markets are also a good bet, though it's a little early in the Northeast for strictly local product. [Then again, just grow your own!]

The other ingredients that can make a big difference are the yogurt and the pepper. Use whole milk yogurt, please, or the dressing will be watery. As for the pepper, cayenne is fine, but if you want a more refined heat, see if you can find Aleppo pepper or another relatively mild ground chili from the Middle East or the Southwest.


Recipe: Grilled Eggplant Salad With Yogurt

Published: July 5, 2006

Time: About 40 minutes

1 pound eggplants, preferably small light purple ones
1 medium onion, minced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1½ cups plain whole milk yogurt
Salt and pepper, to taste
Pinch cayenne or Aleppo pepper or other mild ground chili powder
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley or mint.

1. Start a charcoal or wood fire or preheat a gas grill or broiler; rack should be no more than 4 inches from heat source. Cut eggplants in half lengthwise up to stem, but do not cut through. Spread about 2/3 of the onion and garlic between the eggplant halves and press the two sides back together.

2. Grill eggplants, turning once or twice, until they are blackened and collapsed, 10 to 15 minutes. Do not worry if skin burns a bit. Meanwhile, mix remaining garlic and onion with yogurt; season to taste with salt, pepper and a little cayenne.

3. When cooked, let eggplants cool a bit, then peel off skins and let cool further. Roughly chop eggplants, then mix with yogurt dressing. Serve at room temperature or chill if you like; in either case, garnish with parsley or mint.

Yield: 4 servings.

[Zana]

This is one that was from well-known Chef Michael Bonacini of Toronto. Yummmmm....hmmmm...definitely time for some eggplant.
~Zana~

Mint and Chili Grilled Eggplant

by Michael Bonacini
Look for firm, smooth-skinned eggplants.

1 Roma or Sicilian Eggplant
Extra Virgin olive oil
1cup extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
1 tsp Garlic, finely chopped
1 shallot, finely chopped
2 celery stalks, sliced
1 piece chili pepper, sliced
10 leaves basil, torn
20 leaves mint, torn
1 tbsp Sugar
1 tbsp kosher salt
3 turns fresh ground pepper

1. Combine the cup of olive oil, red wine vinegar, garlic, shallot, celery stalks, chili peppers, basil, mint, sugar, salt and pepper in a mixing bowl and reserve.
2. Slice the eggplant into ½ inch slices leaving the skin on. Salt the eggplant and let stand until it begins to sweat. This is the bitter juice that we want to extract; pat dry with paper towel.
3. Brush liberally with olive oil and grill over high heat. While the eggplant is grilling, continue to brush with olive oil, but being very careful not to apply too much oil as to flare up the grill. You may wish to use a cast iron pan or a grill pan to achieve the same results.
4. The eggplant is cooked when the flesh is soft and tender, approximately 2 to 4 minutes each side.
5. Remove the eggplant to a serving platter and while the eggplant is still hot pour the marinade over the eggplant and garnish with some extra torn mint. It is best to marinate these eggplants at least 1 hour before you need them but no more than 4 hours as they will turn soft and lose texture.

Mint Chili Grilled Eggplant with Tomato & Feta Cheese
1 ripe tomato, thinly sliced
1/4 cup feta goat cheese
Drizzle olive oil
6 black olives
6 leaves fresh mint
Twist cracked black pepper

1. On 2 clean plates, lay down 5 or 6 slices of very thinly sliced ripe tomatoes.
2. On top of the tomato, place a nice slice of mint & chili grilled eggplant, crumble with feta cheese, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with black olives.
3. Finally add some torn fresh mint leaves, a twist of cracked black pepper and serve.

[Zana]

Ok...one more and then I'll quit, otherwise I'll have to go make some up...and its too late....sighhhhh. This is one that I adapted from an original recipe from Food Fit. ~Zana~

Grilled Eggplant Roll-Ups Stuffed with Goat Cheese

This recipe serves: 4
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes

Ingredients
2 cups spinach leaves washed
salt to taste
fresh coarsely ground black pepper
8 slices eggplant, sliced lengthwise about 1/4" thick
1/4 cup goat cheese
1 tablespoon chopped Italian parsley
8 strips roasted red bell peppers, cut 1/4" wide
1/2 tsp dried chili flakes (or to taste)
1/4 tsp caraway seeds, toasted


For the sauce:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon chopped shallots
1/4 cup fresh, chopped tomatoes
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

Cooking Instructions
1. Preheat the grill to medium and the oven to 350°F.
2. Heat 1 teaspoon of the olive oil in a skillet. Add the spinach and a pinch each of salt and pepper and toss in the pan for about 1 minute. Remove from the pan and let cool.
3. Brush the eggplant slices with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill for 1 to 2 minutes on each side, taking care not to overcook.
4. Mix the goat cheese and parsley together. Season with salt, pepper, chili flakes and caraway seeds. Shape the cheese into 8 cork-sized pieces.
5. To assemble: On the top of each slice of eggplant, place a strip of pepper, a few leaves of spinach, and a "cork" of cheese. Begin with the wide end of the eggplant and roll toward the narrow end. Place on a lightly oiled cookie sheet, seam side down.
6. Warm the roll-ups in the oven until thoroughly heated, about 8 to 10 minutes, longer if they have been refrigerated. While the roll-ups are warming, make the sauce.

For the sauce:
1. Heat the olive oil in a small skillet over low heat. Add the shallots and cook until soft and translucent, about 2 minutes. Add the balsamic vinegar. Add the tomatoes and toss for 1 minute. Bring to a boil. Remove from the heat.
2. Place 2 roll-ups on each plate. Spoon sauce over the top and serve.

Nutrition Facts
Serving size: 2 roll-ups
Calories 213
Total Fat 16 g
Saturated Fat 4 g
Protein 5 g
Total Carbohydrate 14 g
Dietary Fiber 5 g
Sodium 232 mg
Percent Calories from Fat 65%
Percent Calories from Protein 9%
Percent Calories from Carbohydrate 26%

[Steve1961]

Just joined this forum yesterday and have had a blast reading all of the threads.

Here is a tasty and very simple recipe for eggplant that is hard to beat.

Cut slices of your eggplant in about 1/4 inch slices. Dunk slices in milk then dredge them in Harold Ensleys Fish Fry mix. Cook in hot oil until golden brown.