/ck/ - Food & Cooking

>>6993041
eggplant parm

>>6993041
Aubergine parm.

>>6993041
They're one of my favorite vegetables.

Although the globe eggplants (one you posted) is pretty meh tier imo, since you have to salt and soak it beforehand to remove the bitterness. However, those are key in moussaka and baba ganoush, both dishes I would recommend making.

One of my favorite ways to make globe eggplants is to simply cut them into medallions, let them soak, pat dry, season with salt, pepper, paprika, and dill, then fry in olive oil. Heat up a bit of tomato sauce with garlic and more paprika, then top the browned eggplants with it, some lemon juice, some Greek yogurt, and more dill. I made it up but it's inspired by Turkish eggplant dishes I've had and is pretty delicious by itself or as a side. Could be made on the grill too.

However, if you can get your hands on Japanese or Chinese eggplants, a whole new world opens up to you. My favorite eggplant dish of all time has to be fish fragrant eggplant, a Sichuan dish. Really any Chinese eggplant dish is amazing, eggplant in garlic sauce, eggplant and pork clay pot, w/e, and all are pretty easy to make.

You could try baigan bharta, which is similar to baba ganoush but with a more Indian flair, or if you get a hold of the baby Indian eggplants, just pop them whole into the next curry you make. Thai eggplants make a great addition to any Thai curry as well.

>>6993041
google chinese/japanese/korean recipes with eggplant

I thin Jaime Oliver also did a Jaime At Home episode with eggplants

You can make a mini lasagna out of it by layering eggplant, cheese, and marinara in a coffee mug.

Cook it in the oven at 375 for 20 minutes or until cheese is golden.

>>6993041
You make a Lasagne but instead of Pasta layers, you use sliced aubergine (eggplant to you Americans).

Forget all that rubbish of soaking the or covering them in salt for 6 months just fry them off in batches, until the slices are a little brown and layer them as you would in a lasagne.

Delicious mate!

Ratatouille

>>6993041
Every time I do anything with eggplant it comes out mushy, like supernaturally so. What the hell am I doing wrong? Ive tried frying, baking, and even boiling, and every time it comes out with the texture of a melting foam mattress.

>>6993041
Aubergine spread (sort of), it's really popular where I'm from.
>bake the aubergines whole
the way we do it is on a piece of thick slate that you put on the oven, but you can do it on a bbq if you have it, adds a lot to the flavour
>make sure that they're baked all the way through
>the stem bit should come off easily, that's how you know they're done
>peel the skins off
>chop them really fine
>don't worry about removing the seeds, they're part of the flavour
>chop an onion
>mix the chopped onion and aubergines with mayo (bonus points if you made the mayo yourself)
>spread on bread or toast
>???
>profit

>>6993217
omg I just realised that it sounds like I'm saying to chop the skin
sorry about that, I meant to say chop the skinless aubergines

>>6993217
This sounds great

>Soak them for 30 min in salted water
>Dry em up
>Pass them through flour
>Fry em in vegetable oil until golden
>Put some molasses or honey on them

Delicious.

You can also put them on the bbq but they're better done under the hot ashes left from the firewood, charcoal is for absolute noobs.
When they're done peel them, sautee with some bell peppers and onions done the same way. Add some half and half and wa la! Goes great with red meats.

>>6993102
>coffee mug in oven

>>6993217
I have to ask, are you romanian?

Slice them about finger thickness then baste them in a light coat of olive oil and broil them, use them in lieu of rice for some curries.

>>6993041
just don't eat them raw. they're semi-toxic when uncooked

I recently made tempura with aubergine, courgette and carrot

Really easy and tastes amazing

>>6993784
Of course I am, who else do you think eats this stuff?

>>6993041

I usually get two at a time, use one in ratattouille and the other baignan bharta.

>roast eggplant on stovetop (I assume you have gas like civilized countries)
>remove when black all over, like roasting a red pepper. let cool and remove blackened skin
>chop finely
>add indian spices of choice, but always some garam masala form
>don't forget roasted garlic. Add half a head of this if you like garlic.
>nom

>>6993041
Baba ghanouj.

>>6993041
This is not fancy by a long shot but i make alot of eggplant omelettes.

>Take big ass eggplant and cut in half lengthwise, leaving stem attached
>Broil for a few minutes until skin is charred and blistered
>Remove skin and mash with fork until you have like a cm thick eggplant "patty" thats not complete mush thats still attached to stem
>Dip in seasoned egg mix and pan fry in oil until done.

Serve over rice with stirfried veggies. Its a good cheap meat substitute.

You can do the same with chinese eggplant just dont cut it in half.

>>6993217
That sounds a lot like baba ghanoush. Except you generally want to use quite high heat to bring out the smoky flavor, and you'd add garlic instead of onion, and tahini instead of mayo. Plus a little seasoning. I've seen Israeli recipes for baba ghanoush that call for mayo, and bought some at a US grocery store without checking the ingredients; seemed dreadful, but part of it was probably just how different it was from my expectation.

>>6993041
What a strange fruit.I would hang one for decoration.

>Fruit salsa
Lightly grilled or broiled so it's still firm. Dice some tomaters, red onion, jalapenos, mango, cilantro, grilled apple too if your so inclined.
Good with broiled roughy or grilled swordfish. Tilapia too if you like your bottom feeder white fish.

>ragout
Super simple. I make it with sauteed swordfish. Just cut it into cubes with some diced roma tomatoes, capers, garlic salt pepper. Maybe some spinach for good measure. Toss it over some linguine ind you're golden.

They are good in stew with beef and tomatoes.

Green curry.

>>6994418
You forgot the banana ketchup.

>>6993080
I eat these globe ones all the time and they haven't been bitter.. I usually stir fry (need to use lid for first half though so the eggplant can leach its juices and so it doesn't dehydrate and burn) it with garlic mushrooms and butter, some greens if I have any on hand, then soy sauce at the end.
I'll prob have to try those ways though.

>>6997130
I think it's mostly just people complaining, I just salt it or soak as a matter of course since most recipes say to do so, but there's probably not that much to it.

Make moussaka or cut them in half and stuff then with cous cous and feta cheese

put them on the grill till the outside is burnt and the inside is very soft. slice them in half, put some good olive oil, salt, peper, herbs, cooked garlic, and feta on top and eat

Am I the only one who doesn't soak or salt my eggplant. They don't seem bitter to me.

>>6993041

I stuff them with chorizo (75g), a beef tomato, spinach (50-70g) and ricotta (75g).

>Cut in half lengthways and scoop out the flesh and dice
>season, drizzle with a little bit of oil, and stick in the oven at 180C Fan (200C conventional)
>Dry fry chopped chorizo until the oil releases
>Add chopped tomato and aubergine and fry until softened
>Add spinach and let it wilt
>Stir in the ricotta off the heat (so it's blended in with the other ingredients)
>Put mixture back into aubergine skins, and bake until golden

>>6997337

Oh, and I season the filling as I go, but feel free to season it after the ricotta has been added.

>>6993041
Parmigiana.

Slice the eggplants in thin slices

let them rest for a while with some salt sprinkled on them

wash them with water, dry and fry them

Make the first layer of eggplants in a casserole

add a layer of thin sliced mozzarella cheese

cover with tomato sauce

sprinkle some parmesan cheese

repeat until you have 3 or 4 layers

put some origan and basil on top

put it in the oven for 30 minutes at 180°C

>>6997237
Smaller, less seedy ones aren't as bitter.
It's the big, older, wide-style eggplants that get bitter. Some people do seem more bothered by it than others, though....

OP, try scooping out the center like a canoe and stuffing it?

>>6994829
I think it's the Balkan version of it. Also, it's not as varied in terms of seasoning or other ingredients (such as tomatoes and whatnot).
I really like tahini (especially in salad dressings) but I can't imagine how it would taste like when combined with eggplant, and I'm not very keen on finding out either.

>>6993041