Everyone knows an amazing dark blue fruit called eggplant. Whether grown independently or bought in a store, this vegetable (which, incidentally, is actually a berry) has many useful properties and a unique, refined taste. There are many ways to cook “little blue ones,” and one of them is grilled eggplant.
Little secrets
- Choosing eggplant, you should focus on medium-sized vegetables - not large and not small. They should not be soft and squeezed, but elastic, shiny, without cracks or any other damage to the skin. Attention should also be paid to the stalk - if it is not dry, this means that the berry has just "arrived" from the garden.
- All eggplants are slightly bitter - but those who don’t like it can solve the problem simply: sliced vegetables should be placed in slightly salted water for about half an hour.
- In no case is it necessary to clean the eggplants for grilling (as well as for baking). This procedure is only needed to create caviar or stewed fruits.
- The method of cooking grilled eggplant is also good because in this case you do not need vegetable oil, which “blue” absorb very actively. In the case when, according to the recipe, the addition of oil is necessary, you can pre-roll the chopped eggplant in salted flour.
- It is best to combine the "little blue ones" with garlic, which gives the dish a sharpness and piquant taste. Cilantro is perfect from greens (however, you need to remember that the taste of cilantro is specific, very amateur).
- The best, tasty and healthy fruits - the first harvest, that is, at the beginning of the season, in the summer.
- Grilled eggplant recipe involves cooking both in the marinade and without it. Lemon juice, olive oil with herbs, soy sauce or even white wine are perfect for marinade.
- Finished eggplant (you can pierce it with something sharp) should be soft, the skin may crack slightly.
- You can not eat "little blue" immediately after removing from heat. For the best result, they need to get there, so you should leave them under a closed lid for a while.
- It is best to use a stainless steel knife - in contact with other elements, the eggplant will darken.
Benefits of Grilled Eggplant
As already mentioned above, such a dish has one indisputable advantage: it is prepared without the content of vegetable oil (or with its minimum amount). Consequently, no harm to health from the presence of chemicals and preservatives in the oil will occur. In addition, this method of cooking involves the almost complete preservation in vegetables of all the useful trace elements and vitamins that the human body so needs (and there are a lot of “blue” ones: potassium, pectin, magnesium, sodium, iron, calcium, phosphorus, and vitamins of the groups B, C, PP, as well as anthocyanins).
Thanks to all these substances, the “little blue ones” (both fresh and baked on the grill) are of great help to people: they lower cholesterol, are good for the heart, and prevent the occurrence of cancer. And yet, since this is the most dietary dish of all possible variations, it is actively advised by nutritionists. For this reason, grilled eggplant is so dearly loved by all of us.
Real jam!
There are plenty of ways to cook grilled eggplant. Experienced chefs say that you can do this on the grill, and on skewers, and in the oven. And in the presence of a special frying pan - also on the stove! In any case, it will turn out very tasty and unusual - this is evidenced by numerous reviews of this dish.
Before the beginning
Before starting to bake, it is very important to prepare the vegetables in advance: thoroughly wash them all, dry them, eliminate the stalks (notabene: wash first and only then remove the stalks, and not vice versa). The reviews of the hostesses indicate that, compared to other fruits, eggplants (however, like zucchini or peppers) take longer to cook, therefore, when planning to combine the “little blue” and some other ingredients, this moment should be taken into account. You can bake eggplant as a whole (if they are very small), or cut into pieces (in this case, do not make the slices too small).
For grilled eggplant on a wire rack or skewers, you should take care of the fire in advance, so that by the time “X” it will already burn out. By the way, when planting vegetables on a skewer, you should be very careful, since juice can leak from the fruits. Eggplant should be baked on the wire rack for no more than ten minutes, and if they are cut into pieces, even less. The main thing is not to forget to turn the vegetables.
Recommendations for cooking grilled eggplants in a pan include the following nuances: fry the fruits before they appear streaks of golden brown color, and before putting “blue” ones on the pan, it is best to grease it with olive oil. But just a little bit! And the pan itself is better to take with a Teflon coating.
Bake in the oven
Judging by the reviews, it turns out very tasty if you bake eggplant and zucchini together on the grill, and you can add sweet pepper to them. All vegetables need to be cut into rings (pepper - strips) and placed in a pre-prepared marinade (a tablespoon of lemon juice, a tablespoon of sea salt, a tablespoon of balsamic vinegar, chopped garlic clove). Leave for ten minutes. Grease a baking sheet with butter, put vegetables, sprinkle with grated cheese. Bake for fifteen to twenty minutes at two hundred degrees. Grilled eggplant in the oven is ready!
Cooking on the wire
The grilled eggplant recipe on the wire rack is very simple: cut the required amount of “blue” (prepared for use) obliquely into circles to make them large enough. Salt, put on the grill (you can take skewers instead) and bake over hot coals. This dish goes well with hot garlic sauce.
And you can also cook eggplant on the grill or on the grill, after pickling them. For the marinade you will need sunflower or olive oil (you can take both in equal proportions), wine vinegar (no more than two tablespoons), not too salty soy sauce, garlic and spices to taste. Garlic needs literally two or three cloves, which should be chopped. Together with vinegar, soy sauce and spices, garlic should be added to the oil in a pan heated. And then put eggplant sliced into rings in this mixture. You can put them in a plastic bag and tie, or you can leave them in a dish under a film. The further process of cooking grilled eggplant on the grill is no different from the above, you just need to wait until the “little blue ones” marinate (about an hour or two).
Eggplant in a pan with caraway seeds
“Little blue ones” should be cut into rings, salt on both sides and left to soak for about twenty minutes. During this time, chop the garlic (or take dried ground) and sprinkle the eggplant. Sprinkle each slice lightly with lemon juice.
Mix caraway leaves with a small amount of vegetable oil and ground black pepper, dip each eggplant ring into the mass. In a grill pan, eggplant should be fried on both sides until cooked.
Fresh mint dish
For a quick breakfast for a family of three to four people, the following recipe is perfect: two relatively large eggplants must be cut lengthwise (the pieces should not be very thin or very thick). Preheat the grill pan and put the “little blue ones” on it. Salt at this stage is not necessary! Fry until cooked on both sides, put into prepared dishes, add olive oil, salt, add chopped garlic clove and mint leaves. Shuffle - and you can eat!
Grilled eggplant with tomatoes and cheese
First of all, “blue” ones are prepared - cut into elongated rings, they are fried in a pan on both sides. Then laid out in the right dishes. Tomatoes (medium-sized) should be cut into two parts, fried on both sides and chopped with a blender (you can also use a meat grinder). Pour the resulting tomato mixture onto eggplant rings, sprinkle with greens (any to your taste) mixed with lemon juice. To salt. Add small pieces of mozzarella.
Grilled eggplant is one of those dishes that, no matter how you cook it, will always be delicious. Therefore, it is worth experimenting. And Bon Appetit!