Frying Eggplants like a Persian Mama

fx

Thu, 23 Jun 2016 10:18:05 GMT

Good tip the citrus zester!

Joyce

Tue, 21 Jun 2016 20:49:31 GMT

This is how I have done mine for years to avoid the oil soaked sponges, I like most of the peel on as well, but to make it easier to bite through, I use a citrus zester to make scores lengthwise. I must try the sumac with them.

Joy D'Alessio

Sat, 18 Jun 2016 22:35:31 GMT

Does this method also work if you cut the eggplant lengthwise, in planks?

fx

Thu, 21 Apr 2016 06:17:16 GMT

Ah this is one fruit that does not grow in Switzerland, I have never had one in my kitchen!

fx

Thu, 21 Apr 2016 06:09:12 GMT

Now this is a really good idea, Christina! I will try that in the combi oven - what do you say, 40" @ 85C and 100% humidity then 10" @ 220C and 0% ?

Christina

Thu, 21 Apr 2016 00:54:05 GMT

I sometimes find that just baking them dries them out too much, or they are brown before they are tender. where I"ve had the most success in replicating pan-fried eggplant"s texture and flavor is this:

1) Steam eggplant slices or cubes until just tender (microwaving also works well)
2) Spritz or drizzle with oil and seasonings and roast or broil in the oven until nicely browned

It works great - seriously! One of my favorite party dishes is eggplant sliced fairly thin, steamed and "oven fried", then mixed into plain Greek yogurt flavored witha clove of minced garlic and salt and pepper. It"s incredible with pita, chips, or crudite - much more than the sum of its parts. A sprinkle of sumac and drizzle of olive oil gild the lily.

John Iwaniszek

Thu, 21 Apr 2016 00:08:21 GMT

It strikes me that breadfruit might be very similarly prepared.

fx

Fri, 15 Apr 2016 11:08:39 GMT

Bianca, this is a very good tip to check for the belly button, I will start doing that from today on!

Bi

Wed, 13 Apr 2016 21:34:28 GMT

I don"t cut them in any special way. My husband tends to like better with lesser skin. I confess, I don"t mind it. The tricks that I use are only the dry knife to prevent the eggplants from changing colour and I check the eggplant"s "bellybutton" ... elongated means more seeds (female eggplants, as I heard them being called) and very round navels means fewer seeds, or a male eggplant. I hardly ever get a big variety of them here in South Brazil, so the navels tell me which to buy. That"s all I really do.

fx

Wed, 13 Apr 2016 21:15:53 GMT

Yes grapeseed is good for high temperature, but do you cut them in a special manner or just slices?

fx

Wed, 13 Apr 2016 21:14:41 GMT

Good to hear it worked for you!

Rajesh Rao

Tue, 12 Apr 2016 19:50:58 GMT

Simple and simply exquisite. (Didn"t I tell you he is back!)

Bi

Mon, 11 Apr 2016 22:13:24 GMT

What about frying with grapeseed oil. I always get great results with that. I Cut them with a dry knife (clean the knife after every cut) then fry them as I cut ... Have you tried that?

fx

Mon, 11 Apr 2016 19:24:43 GMT

Ah yes this is good too, but to make roasted eggplant pulp most mamas use an oven and little oil... but this is a fair point, thanks!

fx

Mon, 11 Apr 2016 19:23:29 GMT

Thanks Chiffonade, I adore Neapolitan cuisine!

Nina

Sun, 10 Apr 2016 06:54:05 GMT

This is interesting, thank you. Incidentally, eggplants, being cooked like an Indian mama, the traditional way is not going to have lots and lots of oil in it. It is just placed on a thin wire rack, after one has greased the skin with some oil. Put it on the stove top, and remember to turn around, till the skin is burnt off. You have lots of lovely pulp now, without any skin, and this is going to make mashed brinjals and potatoes, mashed brinjals on their own flavored with fenugreek, Other herbs, like coriander, and so on.
This is called a Bhurta _Bhoorta. And it has been the staple diet of the North Indian part of the subcontinent, for millenniums, Especially when it is eaten with copious quantities of buttermilk � lassi, and raw onions.

chiffonade

Fri, 8 Apr 2016 20:31:37 GMT

Growing up in a family where eggplant slices were liberally coated with bread crumbs and pan fried, then layered with tomato sauce and cheese - I"m always on the lookout for a healthier version. Of course grilling is an option for lower fat prep but this post is very helpful in case I can"t cook outside. PS My dad was Napolitano ;)

Happy you"re back!
Chiffonade

fx

Fri, 8 Apr 2016 13:46:25 GMT

So the mango is fermented like sauerkraut (lactic acid)? This sounds really tasty!

fx

Fri, 8 Apr 2016 13:44:49 GMT

I should make a comparative experiments to advance human knowledge in eggplant frying, that would concern many cooks!

Catherine

Thu, 7 Apr 2016 22:27:32 GMT

It"s a lot less oil than in the frying-pan-only method, but I imagine probably more than in this method. It"s also a lot more time-consuming. But if you are ever inclined to experiment further with eggplant frying methods, I highly recommend it.

fx

Thu, 7 Apr 2016 21:47:37 GMT

This sounds like a good method too! But how much oil remain in the eggplants?

Catherine

Thu, 7 Apr 2016 20:18:43 GMT

I recently developed a method of eggplant frying that is either the best or the worst of both worlds, depending on how you look at it. I fry them in a pan of oil, the "normal" way, and then I put the fried slices on a wire rack in a baking pan in a 200-250 (Fahrenheit) oven and bake them for a while. The oil drips out of them and they keep browning, and they come out PERFECT.

TFP

Thu, 7 Apr 2016 19:54:12 GMT

Hmmm, there"s no single recipe for amba, but the general idea is to ferment unripe mangoes for a few days in a brine (the ratio is usually 2-4 teaspoons of salt per one cup of hot water) along with hot paprika, ground fenugreek seeds, citric acid (if you wish, you can substitute it with either Amchur Powder or lemon juice) and a spice mixture called "Baharat" (the Iraqi version). You could also add cumin and turmeric if you like, Amba is one of those sauces which you taste as you go...

fx

Thu, 7 Apr 2016 19:13:12 GMT

Yes Saxit seriously fatty eggplants taste really nice but how many can you eat before you drop down?

fx

Thu, 7 Apr 2016 19:12:28 GMT

Ah well she can always add some oil back if she finds it is missing!

fx

Thu, 7 Apr 2016 19:11:52 GMT

Thanks a lot this is really interesting, I looked up both sabich and amba they are now on my must-cook-next list thanks to you! Would you have some recipe for serious amba? I grow my own fenugreek from seeds found in my spice rack so that is available, and some recipe mentionned 2 kinds of mangoes, one yellow, one green. I"d rather cook something authentic!

fx

Thu, 7 Apr 2016 19:07:23 GMT

Well Joan that is ... quick! From computer screen to the plate in less than 2 hours, well done!

fx

Thu, 7 Apr 2016 19:06:40 GMT

Well good luck! I should measure the exact amount of oil used by all three methods to see how much does an aubergine actually drink.

fx

Thu, 7 Apr 2016 19:05:42 GMT

Thanks Ivan, yes this is really efficient for larger quantities. I think restaurants must use something similar.

fx

Thu, 7 Apr 2016 19:04:34 GMT

Thanks, yes vegetables are nice too! But these eggplants were later used in a lamb stew...

Jan van den Hemel

Thu, 7 Apr 2016 18:17:51 GMT

Nice to see you post a lot of vegetarian stuff now that you are back :-)

Ivan

Thu, 7 Apr 2016 16:55:41 GMT

What a time saving, and oil and artery saving way to cook eggplant. The salt thing doesn"t work well, anyways. Salt may penetrate only a millimeter into a slice of bitter eggplant-that leaves a lot of bitter eggplant untouched by salt. The older, larger eggplants are more likely to be bitter (and need a touch of sugar), so go for younger, smaller ones. I like the long Japanese eggplants, rather than the large pear shaped ones so often sold in the US.

Quinn

Thu, 7 Apr 2016 16:10:41 GMT

I love eggplant but rarely make it because the frying is just as you describe. I will definitely try this method! Thanks!

Joan

Thu, 7 Apr 2016 15:48:48 GMT

I tried your oven method and they turned out delicious. Im going to see if this would work roasting in cubes shapes.

TFP

Thu, 7 Apr 2016 15:44:21 GMT

In my part of the world we almost always leave the peel on, which adds a great textural contrast especially in sandwiches. One of the most popular sandwiches in Israel is called "Sabich", which is essentially a mixture of fried eggplants along with hummus, boiled potatoes, a boiled egg and some salad (which usually consists of chopped tomatoes, parsley, and cucumbers) all stuffed into a pita bread and topped with some tahini and amba (which is an Iraqi sauce made from ground fenugreek and green mangoes).

James

Thu, 7 Apr 2016 14:54:52 GMT

Thanks for an excellent post. I want to share this with my wife. She always soak hers in OIL. This method is the most healthy way without sacrifice the favor.

Saxit

Thu, 7 Apr 2016 13:50:37 GMT

I"m one of those that enjoy the really fatty fried eggplants. ;) I also leave all the skin on because after soaking up all the oil, the slighly chewy skin is the only thing that holds a slice of eggplant together. :P
But yeah, I don"t do the salt thing either, I don"t think they"re bitter.