Publication in the group: Recipes in a frying pan
Eggplants have juicy flesh with a mild taste that cooks very quickly. They can be combined with almost all spices and seasonings, so you can prepare them deliciously in many recipes. Fried or baked, they can be served hot or cold as a main course, appetizer or side dish.
General principles of cooking vegetables
Some cooking recipes call for removing the fibrous outer skin, but in young vegetables it is quite thin and can be left on. As a rule, eggplants are cut into slices or small cubes, especially for frying or sauteing in a pan. Their taste characteristics are in many ways reminiscent of young zucchini or zucchini: tender, soft and sweet with a slight vegetable bitterness. Eggplants absorb the flavor of whatever they are cooked with.
Their texture is firm and spongy when raw and very tender when cooked (especially fried or stewed). If the eggplant has wrinkled, flabby skin, it is an old vegetable and its flesh may be more bitter. Small fruits have fewer seeds and a thin skin, and they taste sweeter and more tender.
Eggplants with vegetables in a frying pan
Eggplants (quick and tasty recipes involve using a frying pan) are often stewed or fried in combination with other vegetables. The result is a tasty and healthy dish, filled with vitamins and other beneficial compounds, that only takes about 30 minutes.
What ingredients will you need:
- 3.5 tbsp. young ripe eggplants, cut into cubes;
- 2 tbsp. ripe tomatoes, diced;
- 1 tbsp. white onion, cut into small cubes;
- 1 tbsp. natural tomato sauce;
- 0.5 tbsp. water (filtered/boiled);
- 1 tsp. ground cumin;
- 1 pinch of ground cayenne pepper;
- 1 tsp. Himalayan pink salt.
Step-by-step cooking process:
- It is necessary to cut the eggplants into large cubes, tomatoes and onions into small ones, set aside.
- Place the tomato sauce, water, ground cumin, salt and cayenne pepper in a high-rimmed frying pan and stir together.
- Next, you need to add the vegetables and heat to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover the container with a lid and cook for 20-25 minutes, or until the eggplants are soft. You can add a little water if you want a thinner consistency.
Alternative cooking method
This simple dish can also be prepared in a pressure cooker:
- You need to place the chopped vegetables and all other ingredients in the pressure cooker bowl and mix well to distribute evenly.
- Next, close the lid and turn the vent to the “Sealed” position, set the settings to high pressure cooking for 5 minutes.
- When the timer sounds, you need to carefully open the valve and quickly release the steam.
- Then you need to lift the lid, stir the contents of the bowl and, if necessary, adjust the seasonings and salt.
How to serve the dish
There are countless ways to enjoy stewed eggplant, including mixed with other vegetables:
- Serve the dish chilled, at room temperature or hot, as an appetizer or main course.
- As a side dish for any meat dish.
- As a filling for a toasted baguette or pita chips.
- On crackers, sprinkled with grated cheese.
- Mix with any cooked pasta (such as spaghetti).
- Use as a topping for pizza or hotdog.
How to stew eggplants in a frying pan
Fresh tomatoes are faithful companions of the “little blue ones”. Take, for example, baked eggplants with tomatoes, or the traditional cold table appetizer “mother-in-law’s tongue”... Unification!
And that’s why this idea of stewing eggplants with tomatoes was met with a bang among culinary experts. This is how this original recipe appeared, which we present step by step and with all the details. So you can easily prepare such a treat at home with your own hands.
Ingredients
- Eggplants – 2 fruits
- Fresh tomatoes – 5 pcs.
- Onion – 1 head
- Garlic cloves – 3 pcs.
- Olive oil – 20 ml
- Table salt - to taste
- Fresh dill herbs – ½ bunch
- Pepper mixture – ½ tsp;
How to cook:
- We rinse the eggplants, cut off the stalks, and if the skin is too thick, you can cut it off too. Cut the vegetable into cubic medium pieces and, sprinkle with a little salt, leave for 15 minutes. Then rinse and place on a napkin to dry a little.
- Chop the tomatoes into small slices, chop the onion into thin quarter rings, and pass the garlic through a press.
- Place a frying pan or saucepan over high heat, add oil and as soon as it heats up, place the onion in the container. Fry it for literally 5 minutes until golden brown with constant stirring, and then reduce the gas to a minimum, add eggplants, tomatoes, pour 125 ml of water, add salt, pepper and simmer the dish under the lid for 15-20 minutes.
- A couple of minutes before the end of cooking, add garlic and finely chopped dill to the dish, mix everything, simmer a little under the lid and turn off.
With garlic
Eggplants (recipes “quick and tasty”, most often related to Mediterranean cuisines), fried in a pan with garlic and rice, are a healthy and light dish, ideal for healthy eating on weekdays.
What ingredients will you need:
- 1 medium eggplant (about 400-450 g);
- half a chopped onion;
- 3 tomatoes, seeded and chopped;
- 3 cloves garlic, minced;
- 0.25 tbsp. (60 ml) olive oil;
- 2 tsp. sea salt;
- 1 tsp. dried oregano;
- 1 tbsp. long grain uncooked rice;
- 2.5 tbsp. (600 ml) chicken or vegetable broth;
- 1 tbsp. l. chopped basil for garnish.
Step-by-step cooking process:
- It is necessary to cut the eggplant crosswise into slices 2-3 cm thick.
- Next, heat the olive oil in a 12-inch cast iron skillet (oven-safe) over medium-high heat.
- When it becomes hot, you need to add the eggplants and stir so that all the pieces are evenly covered, and fry for 5 minutes until they become soft.
- Then add the onion and fry for another 5 minutes. or until the pieces are noticeably softened and reduced in volume.
- After this, you need to add the tomatoes and garlic and cook for another 1 minute, season with salt and oregano.
- Finally, you need to add the rice, pour in the broth and stir, place the pan in a preheated oven, cover with a lid and bake at 160-200°C for 30 minutes until all the liquid is absorbed.
- After the specified time, remove the container from the oven and let it cool slightly, garnish with basil and serve.
Eggplant stewed with vegetables
Eggplant stewed with vegetables is a universal vegetable side dish that goes well with meat, poultry, and fish. And with a lenten, vegetarian or dietary diet, it can be served as a separate hot dish.
Ingredients:
- Eggplants - 3 pcs.
- Tomato - 3 pcs.
- Garlic - 2 cloves
- Bell pepper - 2 pcs.
- Onion - 1-2 pcs.
- Carrots - 1 pc.
- Parsley - 1/2 bunch
- Vegetable oil - for frying
- Black pepper - a pinch
- Salt - 1 tsp. without a slide or to taste
Preparing eggplant stewed with vegetables:
- Cut the eggplants into cubes with sides of 1.5 cm.
- Peel the bell pepper from the seed box and cut into 1.5-2 cm pieces.
- Peel the onion and chop into thin half rings.
- Peel and grate the carrots or cut into small cubes.
- Heat vegetable oil in a frying pan and fry the eggplants for 7-8 minutes. Place them on a paper towel to absorb excess oil.
- Place the rest of the vegetables in the pan where the eggplants were fried and simmer over moderate heat for 10 minutes, covered. Season them with salt and ground black pepper.
- Cut the tomatoes into cubes and add them to the pan with the vegetables along with the eggplants.
- Stir the ingredients and simmer for 10 minutes until done.
- 5 minutes before the end of cooking, season the stewed eggplants with vegetables with chopped garlic, and before serving, sprinkle the dish with chopped herbs.
With champignons
This Asian inspired dish is easy to make any day. It's perfect for dinner parties or family dinners. It can easily be made more filling by adding cooked brown rice.
What ingredients will you need:
For the sauce:
- 1 clove, finely chopped garlic;
- 0.25 tbsp. vegetable broth or water;
- 2 tbsp. l. soy sauce or tamari;
- 0.5 tbsp. l. fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped or grated;
- 2 tsp. white sugar;
- 1.5 tsp. chili paste;
- 4 tsp. rice vinegar.
For eggplants:
- 1 medium unpeeled eggplant, cut into 2-3 cm cubes;
- 1 medium sweet pepper, seeded and cut into 2-3 cm cubes;
- 250 g sliced champignons.
Step-by-step cooking process:
- In a small container, prepare the sauce by mixing vegetable broth or water, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, sugar, chili paste and vinegar, set aside.
- In a large frying pan you need to simmer the eggplants in 0.25 tbsp. water until they soften a little, then add the peppers and mushrooms and continue cooking for about 3-4 minutes.
- Next, pour the sauce into the eggplants, heat to a boil and stir, cook for several minutes until the mixture reduces slightly in volume.
Stewed eggplants, fried in a frying pan, recipe with mushrooms. - It is recommended to serve the dish with stewed rice, quinoa or other side dish of your choice.
Cooking features
Even an inexperienced housewife can stew eggplants with vegetables so that the result is a tasty dish. You just need to know a few subtleties:
- Eggplants contain solanine. It is this substance that gives them their bitterness. Getting rid of it is simple: just sprinkle pieces of vegetables with salt and rinse after 10 minutes. An alternative option is to soak the eggplants in a saline solution. To do this, dilute 2-3 teaspoons of salt in a liter of water, immerse the eggplants in it, and wash them after 20 minutes.
- Before preparing the stew, the vegetables must be dried, otherwise the dish will turn out watery.
- You can stew eggplants in water or broth, but if you include a significant amount of tomatoes in the composition, adding liquid is usually not necessary.
- If you fry vegetables before stewing, they will retain their shape better and the stew will be more appetizing. This will also increase the calorie content of the dish.
- Eggplant goes well with tomatoes. They can be used as a sauce or stewed with large “blue” pieces. If tomatoes are used as an alternative to sauce, they are peeled before adding to the dish and chopping. If you cut the tomato skin and blanch the fruit in boiling water for 2-3 minutes, removing the skin from the vegetables will not be difficult.
- Garlic is often added to eggplant stew. If you put it in a dish right away, it will be aromatic, but not spicy. To add spiciness to the appetizer, garlic is added to it shortly after preparation.
With cheese
Eggplant (quick and delicious recipes suitable for everyone in the family) fried with cheese is a great low-carb dish that is gluten-free. It takes less than half an hour and a small amount of ingredients to prepare.
What ingredients will you need:
- 5 tbsp. l. olive oil;
- 1 medium eggplant, cut into 8 thick rounds;
- kosher salt;
- coarsely ground black pepper;
- 1.5-2 tbsp. marinara sauce;
- 240 g fresh mozzarella, cut into 8 servings;
- 0.25 tbsp. grated parmesan cheese;
- basil for decoration - optional.
Step-by-step cooking process:
- Add olive oil to a large (oven-safe) skillet and heat over medium-high heat.
- Once hot, add the eggplant slices, season with salt and pepper and cook until soft and golden on both sides, turning and adding additional oil if necessary.
- Next, remove the container from the stove and pour in the marinara sauce, making sure that the eggplant is evenly coated.
- Place a slice of mozzarella on top of each circle of vegetable.
- Then you need to move the pan into an oven preheated to 200°C and bake until the cheese has melted.
- The finished dish should be garnished with grated Parmesan and, if desired, chopped basil.
Stewed eggplants with zucchini
Spicy Indian spices are perfect for this quick-to-prepare and healthy dish, giving juicy vegetables a bright aroma and taste.
Preparation next.
What ingredients will you need:
- 1 small onion, cut into small pieces;
- 2 tsp. fresh ginger, chopped;
- 1 tsp. garlic, chopped;
- 2 tbsp. l. coconut oil;
- 2 tsp. black mustard seeds;
- 250 g very small cherry tomatoes;
- 2 tbsp. young zucchini, cut into small cubes;
- 2 tbsp. eggplants, cut into small cubes;
- 0.5-0.75 tbsp. chicken or vegetable broth;
- 1 can of canned chickpeas, washed and dried;
- 1 tsp. garam masala;
- sea salt;
- coarsely ground pepper;
- 0.25 tbsp. cilantro, chopped, for garnish.
Step-by-step cooking process:
- Grind the onion, ginger and garlic together in the bowl of a small food processor or blender.
- Heat the coconut oil in a wok or saucepan until almost smoking point and add the onion puree and black mustard seeds and stir-fry until the seeds begin to pop and the onion mixture becomes paste-like and begins to brown.
- Next, you need to place the tomatoes in the pan and cook until they begin to burst, stirring from time to time so that they do not burn.
- Then you need to add zucchini and eggplant, reduce heat and fry until tender for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- After this, you need to pour in the broth (enough to keep the vegetables moist, but not liquid), add chickpeas and garam masala, mix well, cook for another 4-5 minutes to heat all the components evenly.
Before serving, it is recommended to garnish the dish with fresh cilantro.
Recipe 2: Eggplant stewed in sour cream
A very tender and aromatic appetizer that will decorate any holiday table.
Ingredients : 2 large eggplants, 1 onion, 300 grams of sour cream, 3 cloves of garlic, a pinch of salt, pepper to taste.
Cooking method
Peel and finely chop the onion, place in a heated frying pan and simmer in vegetable oil until half cooked. Finely chop the garlic or squeeze it through a garlic press and add to the onion. Turn the heat to maximum and after half a minute add the eggplants. Fry for five minutes, stirring constantly. Then add sour cream, salt and pepper, when the sour cream starts to boil, reduce the heat, mix everything well, cover and simmer for twenty minutes. This dish can be served hot or cold, but always generously sprinkled with fresh herbs.
With meat
Eggplants (quick and tasty recipes are in greatest demand on weekdays) are easy and quick to prepare. A good option among them would be vegetables with meat.
It's healthy, delicious, low carb and gluten free.
What ingredients will you need:
- 1 medium eggplant, diced;
- 1 tbsp. l. olive oil;
- 0.25 tsp salt;
- 450 g minced beef;
- 2 cloves garlic, minced;
- 2 tbsp. coarsely chopped tomatoes;
- 1 tbsp. l. soy amino acids or gluten-free soy sauce.
Step-by-step cooking process:
- Sprinkle the eggplants with salt and fry in olive oil until softened, set aside.
- Place the ground beef and garlic in the pan and fry, stirring, until the meat is browned.
- Next, you need to return the eggplants and tomatoes to the minced meat and add soy amino acids, and simmer until the volume of liquid decreases.
- Serve the dish on its own or with rice.
With added potatoes
Indian eggplant and potato recipes are prepared with the addition of curry and many other Asian seasonings, which perfectly imbue the vegetables with their aromas.
Ingredients:
- 1 tsp. vegetable oil;
- 0.5 tsp. cumin seeds;
- 0.5 tsp. mustard seeds;
- 6 chopped curry leaves (optional);
- 4 cloves garlic, minced;
- a piece (1-1.5 cm) of chopped ginger;
- 1 hot green chili, finely chopped;
- 1 tsp. coriander powder;
- 0.5 tsp. turmeric;
- 1 large potato, cut into cubes;
- 1 medium eggplant, finely chopped;
- 1 large, finely chopped tomato, or about 1 tbsp. diced canned tomatoes in their own juice;
- 0.75 tbsp. water;
- 0.75 tsp. salt;
- cayenne pepper, chili flakes or garam masala to taste;
- cilantro, for decoration.
Preparation:
- It is necessary to heat the oil in a frying pan over low heat.
- When it is hot, you need to add cumin and mustard seeds and fry them until the cumin seeds change color and become fragrant. This will take anywhere from a few seconds to 1 minute, depending on how hot the pan and oil are.
- Next, carefully add the curry leaves, garlic, ginger and chilli powder and cook for 1 minute, or until the garlic turns golden.
- Then add coriander and turmeric powder and mix, then add potatoes and eggplant and mix again.
- After this, you need to place the tomatoes, salt and water in the pan and mix, cover with a lid and cook for 15 minutes.
- Finally, you need to stir the contents of the pan again, reduce the heat to medium-low and continue to simmer until the eggplants and potatoes are completely soft, about 15 minutes, and adjust the amount of spices and salt.
- It is recommended to garnish the finished dish with a large pinch of cayenne pepper and/or garam masala, sprinkle with cilantro, which must be cut and served in advance.
If desired, you can add 1 tbsp to the dish. (or more) cooked chickpeas and another chopped tomato to make it thicker and more filling.
How to cook a vegetable side dish with peppers and tomatoes
A bright dish in which the colors of both vegetables and herbs are mixed. The aroma of basil instantly awakens the appetite.
Ingredients
- cilantro 20 g
- basil 20 g
- eggplants 2 pcs.
- yellow pepper 60 g
- red pepper 60 g
- 2 cloves garlic
- tomato 2 pcs.
- onion 1 pc.
How much time - 25 minutes.
What is the calorie content - 27 calories.
How to cook:
- Peel the eggplants and cut them into 2x10 cm cubes.
- Cut the washed tomatoes into several large slices.
- Chop both types of sweet peppers quite finely.
- Also finely chop the peeled onion.
- Fry all the vegetables in a frying pan, except for the tomatoes.
- Add a little salt, stir and fry for about six minutes.
- Next, turn the heat to minimum, add tomatoes, stir, and cover with a lid.
- Cook for about fifteen minutes, and during this time finely chop the peeled garlic, basil and cilantro. Add them after all the vegetables are cooked and the stove is turned off.
Tip: if you don’t have fresh basil, four pinches of dried basil will be enough.
Georgian recipe
Eggplants (recipes for “quick and tasty Georgian style”), cooked with sweet and hot peppers, are a versatile dish that can be served on their own or as a side dish.
Ingredients:
- 2 medium sized eggplants;
- 4-5 cloves of garlic;
- 2 large tomatoes, cut into quarters;
- 2 sweet peppers, seeded and cut into slices lengthwise;
- 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded (you can leave them to achieve greater spiciness);
- salt and coarsely ground pepper;
- half a bunch of parsley;
- vegetable oil.
Preparation:
- You need to peel the eggplant into thin strips without removing it thoroughly, and then cut the vegetables into strips 5-7 mm thick, mix with 1 tbsp. l. salt and set aside.
- To make the sauce, combine the tomatoes, bell peppers, garlic, parsley and jalapeño in a food processor or blender, season with salt and coarse black pepper to taste, and pulse until the mixture is the desired consistency.
- By this time, liquid will be released from the eggplants, which must be drained and the strips of vegetables dried with paper towels.
- Next, you need to pour about 2 cm of oil into a deep frying pan, heat over high heat, carefully transfer a quarter of the eggplants into it and fry, stirring, until the pieces turn golden brown. This step must be repeated 3 more times, working in batches.
- Place the finished eggplants on a plate lined with paper napkins.
- Finally, you should take a deep bowl or baking dish and pour 4-5 tbsp onto its bottom. l. sauce and place the eggplants in 1 layer, then repeat layers until the ingredients are gone.
With carrots
- Time: 30-35 min.
- Number of servings: 5 persons.
- Calorie content of the dish: 95 kcal.
- Purpose: for lunch and dinner.
- Cuisine: oriental.
- Difficulty: easy.
This vegetable is used in many recipes along with blueberries. The ingredients match each other to taste, and the tomato paste will add sourness to the dish. In addition, even after such a type of heat treatment as stewing, carrots still contain a lot of useful vitamin A. The most unusual dish is stewed boats made from the main ingredient with carrots and onions.
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Ingredients:
- small eggplants – 4-5 pcs.;
- carrots – 6 pcs.;
- tomato paste – 50 ml;
- sunflower oil – 100 ml;
- boiled water – 100 ml;
- onion – 1 pc.;
- salt – 2 g;
- greens – 5 g.
Cooking method:
- Grate the carrots on a fine grater, cut the onion into cubes.
- Eggplants are cut in half.
- The blue ones are fried on both sides using vegetable oil.
- Fry onions and carrots for 5 minutes, add tomato paste to them.
- Using a spoon, remove the middle from the eggplants, chop them and mix with carrot and onion sauté.
- The filling is placed inside the “boats”.
- Stuffed vegetables are placed on a sheet in the oven and filled with water.
- Simmer for 25 minutes.
- Place on plates and sprinkle with parsley and dill.
With olives
This healthy eggplant dish belongs to Mediterranean cuisine and can be enjoyed cold or hot. It's perfect as a side dish for lunch or dinner, or to serve on its own for vegans.
Ingredients:
- 1 small eggplant (about 450 g) cut into cubes;
- 1 chopped red bell pepper;
- 500 g diced tomatoes, very ripe and soft, without skins or seeds;
- 0.5 tbsp. chopped olives;
- 0.25 tbsp. olive oil;
- 2 tbsp. l. capers (without liquid);
- 2 tbsp. l. lemon juice;
- 1 tbsp. l. balsamic vinegar;
- 0.25 tbsp. pine nuts;
- chopped fresh parsley, for decoration.
Preparation:
- Add the pine nuts to a small frying pan over moderate heat, fry until golden brown for a few minutes, stirring frequently to prevent uneven cooking, set aside.
- Next, you need to place the eggplant cubes in a frying pan or saucepan with a capacity of 3 liters or more, pour olive oil on top and stir, cook over moderate heat until all the cubes become brown and wrinkled, 10-15 minutes, stirring frequently.
- You should also place diced tomatoes there, including the juices that leaked out during cutting, mix everything and simmer until the eggplants become soft, 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Then add the bell peppers, olives, capers, lemon juice and balsamic vinegar, mix and cook until the peppers are soft, about 5 minutes, stirring regularly, season with coarse pepper and salt to taste.
- Top with fresh parsley and toasted pine nuts and serve hot or chill in the refrigerator.
With tomatoes
This Indian style eggplant recipe calls for frying them with canned tomatoes, onions and a spice blend including cumin, mustard seeds, coriander and garam masala.
To make it not only quick, but also tasty, it is recommended to first fry the spices and brown the onions, which will give them richness and sweetness, and only then add the vegetables. In less than 20 minutes. You will get a wonderful aromatic dish that goes perfectly with fried lamb or baked chicken.
Ingredients:
- 1 tbsp. l. canola oils;
- 1 tsp. brown mustard seeds;
- 1 tsp. cumin seeds;
- 1 chopped onion;
- 4 long and thin eggplants, cut 7 mm thick;
- 1 serrano chile, seeded and finely chopped;
- 1 tsp. coriander;
- 450 ml diced canned tomatoes in their own juice;
- 0.25 tsp garam masala;
- 1 tsp. salt;
- 0.5 tsp. coarsely ground black pepper.
Preparation:
- Heat the oil in a large frying pan until it begins to sizzle, add the mustard and cumin seeds and heat for about 30 seconds until they begin to pop.
- Next you need to add the chopped onion and stir occasionally over moderate heat until it turns dark brown (this will take a while but makes a big difference to the flavor so it's best to wait but be careful not to let the pieces burn).
- Then you should place the eggplants there and fry until their skin turns brown and the flesh begins to soften. You may need to add a little more oil.
- After this, you need to add chili, coriander, garam masala, tomatoes, salt and coarsely ground pepper, increase the heat to medium and fry until the eggplants become soft. You will need to add a little water if the mixture becomes too dry.
- Serve the finished dish with white rice, spicy Indian lime marinade and plain full-fat yogurt.
Delicious stewed eggplants
I want to share with you a summer recipe for stewed eggplant. Summer is a time when there is a lot of vitamins around. Fruits, vegetables - everything is fresh and natural. And you need to make the most of this situation - eat as many vitamins as possible and strengthen your immunity for winter. So let's quickly start cooking eggplants according to my favorite recipe. We need very few ingredients.
Ingredients:
- eggplants - 2 pieces;
- carrots - 3 pieces;
- tomatoes - 2 pieces;
- bell pepper - 1/2 piece;
- garlic - 2-3 cloves;
- salt - 1 teaspoon;
- sugar - 3 teaspoons.
Preparation:
- Let's start with eggplants. When you buy them, pay attention to the color: it should be even, without brown spots. Also, there should be no wrinkles or soft spots on the vegetable itself and the stalk. If these conditions are met, you have chosen the right eggplants and you can cook from them
- You need to wash the vegetable, cut off the top with the stalk and cut into cubes. When done, pour in salted water, then the eggplants will be saturated with liquid and will not absorb vegetable oil when stewing. Let it sit like this for about half an hour.
- Let's move on to the rest of the vegetables. Let's take carrots. Clean, wash and grate on a medium grater.
- We clean and wash the onions. To make cooking without tears, you need to leave the dry tail of the onion uncut. Then the onion will not sting your eyes, and you will feel comfortable holding it. First cut in half, then into strips, and then into cubes.
- Wash and cut the tomatoes. So that the tomato skin does not interfere with the finished dish, it can be removed. To do this, pour boiling water over the tomatoes and leave for a couple of minutes. Now they are easy to clean, and the skins will not interfere with eating the dish.
- Now you need to prepare the sweet bell pepper. Cut it in half and remove the seeds. Hide one half in the refrigerator and cut the other half into cubes.
- Take a frying pan, pour a little vegetable oil and put it on the fire until it warms up well.
- Pour the onion into a hot bowl and fry until it becomes transparent.
- When the onion has reached the desired state, add grated carrots.
- Cover with a lid and simmer until half cooked, stirring occasionally.
- While the onions and carrots are stewing, prepare the garlic. We need two cloves that need to be peeled and cut. To quickly peel garlic, place it on a board and crush it with the side of the knife. After clicking, easily remove the peel and finely chop the garlic. This is a secret method that chefs use in restaurants. Garlic peeled in this way is more flavorful and easier to cut.
- I think the onions and carrots have already been stewed enough, so add tomatoes and bell peppers to the pan and stir. Sprinkle the vegetables with sugar and salt, mix again, cover with a lid and simmer for 15 minutes. While you can drink tea.
- After the measured time, add the next ingredient to the pan - eggplant. Mix. If necessary, add a little vegetable oil. Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the eggplants are soft.
- Then you need to add the garlic, stir again and turn off the stove - our stewed eggplants are ready.
- When you serve, place the dish in a mound on a nice flat plate and sprinkle chopped herbs (parsley or dill) on top.
The dish turns out very tasty and healthy. It can serve as a side dish for meat dishes. You can find recipes for meat dishes and many others on “Very Tasty”. I am sure that such stewed vegetables will be to the taste of everyone who tries them. The dish turns out bright, beautiful, very aromatic and incredibly tasty. Cook with pleasure and treat your loved ones. Bon appetit!
With Chiken
Eggplant cooked in the same pan with chicken is a great seasonal dish. To prepare it, you just need to chop a few components, brown them and quickly simmer. You can serve it on its own or with rice or pasta.
Ingredients:
- 1 tbsp. l. olive oil;
- 2 cloves garlic, minced;
- 1 onion, cut into thin slices;
- 1 medium sized eggplant, diced;
- 450 g chicken breast (fillet), boneless, skin removed, cut into cubes;
- 500 ml diced tomatoes, canned in their own juice;
- 1 tbsp. l. Italian seasoning;
- 0.5 tsp. sea salt;
- 0.5 tsp. coarsely ground black pepper;
- 0.5 tsp. red pepper flakes (optional);
- 3 tbsp. fresh spinach;
- 1 tbsp. l. fresh basil.
Preparation:
- Heat the oil in a large saucepan over low heat, add the garlic, onion and eggplant and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until the onion becomes translucent and the eggplant begins to soften.
- Next, add the chicken and cook until the chicken cubes are no longer pink on the outside, about 5 minutes.
- Then you need to place the tomatoes and spices there and fry over low heat until the chicken is warmed through and the sauce thickens a little, about 7-10 minutes.
- After this, add fresh spinach, stir and simmer until it wilts.
- It is recommended to garnish the finished dish with fresh basil and season to taste.
Ready.
Hearty dish with potatoes
A hearty dinner of eggplants and potatoes, which requires:
- 4 eggplants;
- 2 potato tubers;
- 2 onions;
- 1 PC. bell pepper;
- 2 tomatoes;
- ½ head of garlic;
- herbs, salt, spices and a little oil.
When preparing:
- The onion is chopped and fried in a pan with a thick bottom.
- Eggplant cubes are placed on an onion bed, salted and seasoned.
- Next, lay out potato wedges, which are covered with pieces of pepper and tomato rings.
- The last ones to add are the garlic cloves.
- The dish is stewed under the lid for 60 minutes.
Useful tips and tricks
Most people think of eggplant as an oblong, dark purple vegetable with green caps attached. Undoubtedly, this is the most common type of these fruits, but there are many different varieties. Their taste has slight differences and may be more sweet or bitter, and their external shape, size and color differ very significantly.
Type of eggplant | Distinctive features | Cooking features |
European | The most common dark purple oval fruit in the world. | Suitable for any dish, but must be cooked thoroughly to release the flavor and achieve a tender, soft texture. |
American | Larger, compared to European ones, the pulp has a porous texture. | The porous flesh absorbs other ingredients like a sponge cake, so it is important not to use too much oil or liquid. If you sprinkle the slices with flour in advance, they will not become too greasy when fried. |
Japanese | Longer, thinner, smaller eggplants come in many shades of purple, including a deep, almost black purple. Sometimes they are also called Chinese. | Their thin shape makes them especially good for slicing on the bias, or using a serrated knife and frying in large pieces. They can be cooked until soft and pureed (as part of a sauce) or remain in dense slices, depending on the time and cooking method. |
Rosa Bianca | They are distinguished by a beautiful purple-white striped color, but this does not persist when cooked. also have a somewhat bulbous shape and softer flesh. | The tender pulp with a sweetish taste contains almost no bitterness, and it contains fewer seeds. Therefore, vegetables are ideal for various stews and other stews. |
Indian | Small and round fruits, shaped like bell peppers. | They can be chopped and fried or stewed. Another great method is to cook them whole, scoop out the tender flesh and use it as a base for the sauce. |
Thai | Very small round fruits, more like tomatoes. They can be green, purple or white, and have firmer, more bitter flesh. | To keep their bitterness to a minimum, it is necessary to remove the seeds before cooking, and it is advisable to soak the pulp in salted water. Thai eggplants tolerate high amounts of spice and long simmering, making them an ideal curry ingredient. |
Regardless of the color or shape of the eggplant, you should always choose vegetables that have smooth, shiny skin and feel heavy for their size. There is some culinary controversy regarding the need to sprinkle them with salt before cooking: many cooks believe this method eliminates the bitter taste, but others believe it is not necessary.
There is no real difference in taste between white eggplants and fruits of other colors, although they look original and unusual. However, most white varieties (with the exception of specific Asian ones) have softer and creamier flesh. Therefore, they are recommended to be used in recipes for stews and similar dishes, where they will quickly become soft and creamy. They can be used to make almost any sauce delicious.
Eggplants in sour cream sauce
To enjoy tender eggplants with spicy notes, just purchase:
Ingredients:
- 4 eggplants;
- 250 ml sour cream;
- a piece of butter;
- greenery;
- 15 g flour;
- salt.
Preparation:
- Eggplants are cut into medium cubes, which are boiled for 5 minutes in salted water, after which they are drained in a colander.
- After they dry, the cubes are rolled in flour and placed in a thick-bottomed pan, where they are fried until golden brown in butter.
- Next, the vegetables are poured with sour cream, salted and sprinkled with herbs.
- The dish is stewed under the lid for about half an hour until it becomes soft.