12 delicious eggplant dishes

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

Many people grow or buy eggplant. But few know how to cook them deliciously. Lifehacker has compiled a selection of cool eggplant dishes for you.

It is believed that eggplants, due to the potassium they contain, have a beneficial effect on the work of the heart and normalize the body's water-salt metabolism. It is not for nothing that in the East they are called longevity vegetables and are recommended to eat regularly for the elderly. In addition, eggplant is low in calories: only 24 kcal per 100 grams of product. At the same time, they help to cleanse the intestines. What you need if you follow the figure.

But sometimes even the benefit is not an argument. Many housewives even nowadays consider eggplants too capricious: they turn black, then they taste bitter. These troubles are easy to avoid though.

Some helpful tips

1. Soak the eggplant in salted water for half an hour before cooking. Then rinse. So the bitterness will go away from the vegetables.
2. If you are cooking caviar, do not mince the eggplants or use a metal knife. This can give the dish an unpleasant aftertaste. Grind the blue ones with a ceramic or wooden cutter.
3. To prevent eggplants from absorbing a lot of fat when frying, scald them with boiling water first.
4. To prevent the flesh from blackening, cook the eggplant over high heat.
5. If you want the eggplant wedges or mugs to stay in shape during cooking, do not peel them off.

Moussaka

This is a traditional for the Balkans and the Middle East dish of eggplant and minced meat. Delicious and very satisfying.

Ingredients:

• 800 g eggplant;
• 800 g minced lamb or beef;
• 300 g of tomatoes;
• 1 onion;
• 50 g of hard cheese;
• 180 g dry white wine;
• olive oil for frying;
• salt and pepper to taste.

For the sauce:

• 500 ml milk ;
• 40 g butter;
• 30 g flour;
• 200 g of hard cheese;
• 2 eggs;
• salt and nutmeg to taste.

Preparation

Let's start with the sauce. Melt the butter in a frying pan and fry the flour in it. At the same time, we warm up the milk a little (do not boil it!). To make the sauce lump-free, the milk and the butter and flour mixture should be at about the same temperature. Pour milk, stirring constantly, into the pan to butter and flour. Salt, add nutmeg. Bring to a boil and then add the grated cheese. We continue to cook, not forgetting to stir until the cheese is melted. Then we remove from the fire. While the mixture is cooling, beat the eggs in a separate bowl. After that, slowly pour them into the sauce, stirring thoroughly. The sauce is ready.

Cut the onions for moussaka into half rings, remove the skin from the tomatoes and chop them into cubes. Cut the eggplants into thin oblong slices (don't forget to soak them in salted water!) And fry in olive oil on both sides. After frying, they should be laid out on paper towels to absorb excess fat. You also need to fry the onion (until soft) and minced meat. In the middle of frying, pour the wine into the onion and minced meat and cook until the liquid evaporates. After that, add the tomatoes, salt, pepper and simmer for a few more minutes.

Putting the moussaka: put eggplants and minced meat in layers in a baking dish so that there are eggplants on top. Fill everything with sauce and sprinkle with grated cheese. We send it to the oven, preheated to 180 ° C, for 30-40 minutes.

Caponata

This is a Sicilian stew made from eggplant and other vegetables. It is eaten both hot and cold, served as an independent dish, as well as a side dish and a snack.

Ingredients:

• 800 g eggplant;
• 150 g olives;
• 90 g capers;
• 140 g onions;
• 50 g sugar;
• 400 ml tomato paste;
• 80 ml of white wine vinegar;
• olive oil for frying;
• basil, salt and pepper to taste.

Preparation

Peel the eggplants, cut into cubes and fry in olive oil. To prevent vegetables from being too greasy, you can lightly pour boiling water over them before frying.

In a separate bowl, caramelize the onion with sugar (do not use butter) until golden. Then add capers there (recall that you can use pickles), olives, wine vinegar and a little olive oil. We simmer all this for about five minutes, after which we add the fried eggplant and tomato paste. We cook for another 7-10 minutes. A couple of minutes before cooking, add finely chopped fresh basil, salt and pepper to taste. Be careful with salt. You can do without it at all, since capers usually give the dish the necessary salinity.

Lasagna

This is a variation on a traditional Italian dish where eggplant replaces the dough.

Ingredients:

• 800 g eggplant;
• 500 g minced beef;
• 500 g thick tomato paste;
• 100 g mozzarella;
• 100 g parmesan;
• 100 g bread crumbs;
• 2 eggs;
• 2 tablespoons of water;
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• salt and black pepper to taste.

Preparation

We clean the eggplants and cut them into circles about one and a half centimeters thick. In a bowl, beat eggs with two tablespoons of water. In a separate bowl, mix the grated parmesan, bread crumbs, salt and pepper. Dip each round of eggplant, first in beaten eggs, and then in a mixture of crackers and cheese. Put the eggplants on a baking sheet, greased with olive oil. Preheat the oven to 180 ° С and send the eggplants there for 20-25 minutes, until the vegetables acquire a uniform golden crust.

At this time, fry the minced meat in olive oil (if desired, you can salt and pepper it). After about 10 minutes, add tomato paste to the minced meat. Bring the mixture to a boil and remove from heat.

Put some of the eggplants in a baking dish, then cover them with tomato-meat sauce, sprinkle with 50 grams of mozzarella and put the eggplants on top again. If the shape is small and there is a lot of filling, you can make several layers. Sprinkle the remaining mozzarella on top and put it in the oven (200 ° C) for 10-15 minutes (the cheese should melt).

Spaghetti dressing

Eggplant can not only replace pasta, but also perfectly complement it. For example, they can be used to make a vegetable spaghetti sauce.

Ingredients:

• 800 g eggplant;
• 500 g spaghetti;
• 400 g of tomatoes;
• 4 cloves of garlic;
• olive oil;
• basil;
• salt and pepper to taste.

Preparation

For this recipe, the eggplants must first be baked in the oven. This will take about an hour to soften the vegetables. While the eggplant is baking, boil the spaghetti. After removing the eggplants from the oven, let them cool slightly, and then carefully peel them off.

Finely chop the garlic and fry in hot olive oil for two minutes. Then add the tomatoes cut into large cubes. Simmer until almost all the liquid has evaporated. At the end of cooking, add the diced eggplant, salt and pepper to taste. Serve with spaghetti. Sprinkle the dish with chopped basil.

Cutlets

I will love this recipe. Hearty delicious eggplant cutlets are easy to cook, and most importantly - no meat.

Ingredients:

• 800 g eggplant;
• 100 g of hard cheese;
• 2 pieces of rye bread;
• 50 g bread crumbs;
• 2 eggs;
• 3 cloves of garlic;
• 50 ml of milk;
• 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil;
• salt and pepper to taste.

Preparation

Cut the eggplants into small cubes and fry in vegetable oil. While they are cooling, rub the cheese on a fine grater and chop the garlic. Soak the bread in milk.

Beat the cooled eggplants with a blender until a homogeneous pasty mass. Then add to them soaked bread, grated cheese and garlic, eggs, salt and pepper to taste. Mix everything thoroughly. If the "minced meat" is too runny, add some bread crumbs to it. Form the cutlets and roll them in breadcrumbs. Then fry like regular cutlets until crispy.

Boats

For this dish, you can use almost any filling: meat, chicken, vegetable. But you get a particularly delicate taste when you stuff the eggplant.

Ingredients:

• 3 small eggplants;
• 400 g fillet of chum salmon or other sea fish of your choice;
• 100 g of hard cheese;
• 100 g butter;
• 2 tomatoes;
• 1 onion;
• salt and herbs to taste.

Preparation

Cut off the stalks of the eggplants and cut the eggplants lengthwise to form “boats” (3 eggplants = 6 boats). Do not remove the peel - it will retain the shape of the vegetables and the appearance of the dish. Cut the fish and tomatoes into small cubes, if desired, you can first remove the skin from the tomatoes. Finely chop the onion.

Put the eggplant boats on a greased baking sheet. Put fish, tomatoes, onions and a little butter inside each of them. Salt, pepper and sprinkle with herbs to your taste. Then sprinkle each portion with grated cheese. We send the eggplants to a well-heated oven for 30-50 minutes. You can eat this dish with a spoon, scraping the flesh from the walls of the eggplant.

Grilled eggplant salad

This simple salad can be made outdoors. It will be a great addition to other grilled meat dishes.

Ingredients:

• 1 large eggplant;
• 1 purple onion
• 1 avocado
• 1 lemon;
• rapeseed and olive oil;
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• honey;
• oregano and parsley;
• salt and black pepper to taste.

Preparation

Cut the eggplants into circles about 2.5 centimeters thick. Peel the onion and cut into large rings. Sprinkle these vegetables with rapeseed oil and until soft. When the eggplants and onions have cooled slightly, cut them and the peeled avocado into large cubes.

Prepare the dressing in a separate bowl. Combine red wine vinegar, mustard and chopped oregano. Add liquid honey and olive oil. Let the mixture brew a little, and then season the salad with it. Salt, pepper, decorate with lemon wedges and parsley sprigs.

Batter sticks

This is a light summer snack. Eggplants prepared according to this recipe are lean, tender on the inside and with a crispy cheese crust on the outside.

Ingredients:

• 500 g eggplant;
• 150 g of hard cheese;
• 1 egg;
• 100 g bread crumbs;
• 3-4 cloves of garlic;
• olive oil;
• salt, black pepper, paprika and turmeric to taste.

Preparation

Cut the eggplants into strips about 3 centimeters thick and fill with salted water to remove the bitterness. After drying the eggplant slices on a paper towel, put them in a bowl, sprinkle with olive oil and sprinkle with spices (salt, pepper, paprika, turmeric, garlic passed through a press). We leave for 5-10 minutes.

At this time, rub the cheese and mix it with bread crumbs. Beat the egg in a separate bowl.

Put baking paper on a baking sheet and preheat the oven to 200 ° C. Dip each eggplant slice first in an egg, and then in a mixture of cheese and rusks and spread on a baking sheet. Cook the sticks in the oven for about 20 minutes. You can eat them both hot and cold - equally tasty.

Rolls

There are many variations of eggplant rolls. Some people simply fry the vegetable, others bake it. Some use only cheese for the filling, others add carrots, mushrooms or tomatoes. We offer you the simplest cooking option.

Ingredients:

• 500 g eggplant;
• 100 g cream cheese;
• 2-3 cloves of garlic;
• olive oil for frying;
• salt, pepper and herbs to taste.

Preparation

Cut off the tops from the eggplant and cut into slices about a centimeter thick. Having got rid of the bitterness (see life hacks above), fry the eggplants in olive oil. Remove excess fat with a paper napkin. If you prefer baked vegetables, use the oven.

Pass the garlic through a press, finely chop the greens. We mix all this with cream cheese (salt, pepper and add other spices if desired). Spread the cheese mass with a thin layer on the eggplant. We wrap each plate with a roll and fasten it with a toothpick. Put the rolls on the lettuce leaves and sprinkle with chopped walnuts (optional).

Turrets

This appetizer is easy to prepare and eye-catching. Eggplant turrets, laid out on a large plate and decorated with herbs, are perfect for a festive table.

Ingredients:

• 400 g eggplant;
• 400 g of tomatoes;
• 300 g mozzarella;
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• balsamic vinegar;
• salt, black pepper and basil to taste.

Preparation

Cut the eggplants peeled from the skin into circles about a centimeter thick. Salt, pepper and fry on both sides in olive oil. We also cut the tomatoes into round slices. Cut the mozzarella into slices. The thickness of the cheese and tomatoes should be about a centimeter.

In a greased baking dish, "build" turrets: a circle of eggplant, a circle of tomato and a slice of cheese. Decorate each portion with basil sprigs and sprinkle with balsamic vinegar. We send all this to the oven (200 ° С) for 15–20 minutes.

Peacock Tail Snack

Another bright eggplant appetizer. Thanks to the unusual "design", the dish will appeal not only to adults, but also to children who rarely eat vegetables eagerly.

Ingredients:

• 500 g eggplant;
• 300 g of tomatoes;
• 200 g of cucumbers;
• 200 g feta cheese;
• half a can of olives;
• 3 tablespoons sour cream;
• 2-3 cloves of garlic;
• olive oil;
• Dill;
• salt to taste.

Preparation

Cut the eggplants obliquely to make oval slices. Soak in salted water, rinse and dry. Then put it on a baking sheet, sprinkle with olive oil and bake for 10-15 minutes at 200 ° C.

Pass the garlic through a press and mix with sour cream and feta cheese until smooth. Cut the tomatoes and cucumbers into slices. It is desirable that the latter are smaller in diameter than the former. Cut the pitted olives in half.

Put the eggplants in the shape of a peacock's tail on a large oblong plate. Grease each piece with cheese mass. Then put a mug of tomato and cucumber on them. A little cheese with garlic again, and in the end - half an olive. It should look like the eyes on a peacock's tail.

Heh

Hye is a Korean dish usually made with meat, fish, or vegetables such as eggplant. Eggplant heh can be served as a side dish for meat or as an independent dish.

Ingredients:

• 1.5 kg eggplant;
• 100 g paprika;
• 1 hot chilli pepper;
• 7-8 cloves of garlic;
• 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil;
• vinegar.

Preparation

Cut the eggplants into cubes and get rid of the bitterness in the usual way. After that, fry them in vegetable oil. Cut hot peppers into thin rings and chop (not too finely) the garlic. Put eggplant, garlic and pepper in layers in a plastic container. Sprinkle with vinegar, sprinkle a little with paprika and repeat layers until the container is full. The amount of pepper, garlic, paprika and vinegar can be varied to your taste. If you don't like spicy, add these ingredients to a minimum. Cover the filled container with a lid and put it in the refrigerator for a day.

Eggplants open up space for culinary imagination: the list of dishes from them can be continued for a long time. We invite you to do this in the comments. Write if you like eggplant and share your signature recipes.