Quick and Tasty Eggplant Recipes

Eggplants are native to southeast Asia and are prodiced in avariety of shapes and colors - the most familiar to Westerners is the oblong 'aubergine' colored fruit, or the long, tapered 'Chinese' or 'Japanese' varieties. The Turks have a special love for it, and a bride is said to be unfit for marriage until she knows at least 2 dozen recipes.

Eggplant is on of the tastiest and versatile vegetables, but many people underappreciate it. It's used in European, Middle Eastern , Chinese and Indian cuisines

You can use eggplant directly, but a little preparation will remove some of the water and bitterness. Cut into rounds, from 1/2" to 1" depending whether eggplant will be fried or grilled.Place a paper towel on a plate, sprinkle lightly with salt, add a layer ofeggplant. Sprinkle with salt, then add more eggplant. Top with anotherlayer of paper towels. Let this sit for about 2 hours, during which timethe salt will extract much of the water in the eggplant. Then pat dry with additional paper towels and proceed to the next step.(Remember that paper towels compost easily)

To fry eggplant, heat 1T of oil in a cast iron skillet, then fry the slices fror about 2' each side until nicely browned. This method of dry frying uses almost no oil, and is best for recipes where the eggplant is later layered with moist ingredients. Alternatively, usee about 2-3T for each batch of slices to produce a richer result.

Alternatively grill or roast the entire eggplant until its skin is almost charcoal for a unique smoky taste. The result is excellent for baba ganoush and other recipes calling for mashed eggplant. Usually the skin is discarded. Prick the eggplant with a fork several times before cooking, or you'll discover how to turn an eggplant inside out!

I've tested, savored and experimented with eggplants for years, discovering recipes in travels to China, India, Turkey and other parts of the Middle East and North Africa. Here are some of my favorites.

Simple eggplant Appetizer

This first recipe is simple, yet elegant and makes an eggplant starter or side dish:

• 1 eggplant sliced into 1/2" slices
• 3 cloves of garlic
• 3 T chopped parsley
• 1 T lemon juice
• 1 T olive oil

Fry the eggplant slices and arrange on a plate. Combine the other ingredients in a food processor [or chop extremely fine], then drizzle on top of eggplant slices. Can be served warm or cold.

IMAM BAYILDI (The Imam Fainted)

• Olive oil
• 2 medium onions, chopped fine
• 3-5 garlic cloves, chopped
• 3 medium tomatoes, chopped
• 3 tablespoons chopped parsley
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 2 medium eggplants
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

This is one of the most famous Turkish recipes and varies everywhere - it's always one of my favorites to order in the smaller Turkish Bufes.

Cut eggplants in half, and hollow out the centers, leaving a shell of about 3/4 - 1". Chop the extracted eggplant.In a cast iron skillet, heat 3 T olive oil over high heat. Add the onions and reduce to medium heat. Add the garlic, tomatoes, chopped eggplant, salt, and pepper. Cook for 5', stirring occasionally, then reduce to low heat and simmer for additional 15'. Toss in the chopped parsley.

Stuff each eggplant half and arrange in a baking dish. Sprinkle with sugar, lemon juice, and 1/2 cup oil. Bake, covered, in pre-heated moderate oven (350 F.) for about 40 minutes, or until tender.

Imam biyaldi can be serve hot, or cold with yogurt. Makes 4 to 6 servings depending on the size of the Imam's appetite.

• 1 lg eggplant
• 1 red pepper, cut in half
• 4 T olive oil
• ¼ fresh Italian parsley

Dressing:

• ¼ cup soy sauce
• 3 T bean paste
• 1-2 T Chinese chili paste [to taste]
• 1 t sesame oil

1. Slice eggplant into ¾ slices and prepare as above
2. Toss in plastic bag red pepper with olive oil bag
3. Grill or broil eggplant and red pepper for 5-10' per side until nicely browned.
4. Cut red pepper and eggplant into 1" strips
5. Prepare dressing ingredients, mix, then add eggplant & pepper. Eggplant may break apart. Toss to mix
6. Sprinkle with parsley

• 1 large eggplant
• 1/2 lb fresh mushrooms, sliced
• 1 large onion, diced
• 1 16 oz can, stewed tomatoes
• 1 8 oz can, tomato sauce
• Olive oil for frying
• 1/2 lb cheddar, grated
• 1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
• 2 T chopped, fresh oregano (or 1 T dried)

1. Prepare the eggplant as above

2. In a large frying pan (cast iron works best), heat the pan for a brief time over high heat, then add 1T of olive oil, and spread it around the pan. You can then fry all the eggplant in this pan, without adding any more oil. Place several rounds of eggplants in the frying pan, and cook over high heat for 2-3 minutes, then flip them and cook the other side. They may blacken slightly, but this is normal, and adds a roasted flavor. When done, place on a platter to cool.

3. Prepare the sauce by sauteing the mushrooms and onions in 3T olive oil, over moderate heat for about 10 minutes. Add the tomatoes, tomato sauce and the oregano. Also add salt and pepper to taste. Cook for another 10 minutes. Then turn off the heat.

4. In a large casserole dish, place several tablespoons of sauce on the bottom. Then proceed to add layers of eggplant. On top of each layer, spoon some sauce, then sprinkle with cheese and parsley. Save enough cheese to provide a generous layer of cheese on the top. Bake in a 350 deg oven for 40 minutes. Serve with rice and a green salad.

• 1 Medium zucchini, diced into 1" cubes
• 1 large eggplant, diced into 1" cubes

Sauce:

• 1/2 lb lean ground beef
• 1 large onion, diced
• 2-4 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 dried ancho chiles, prepared (or 2 T chile powder)
• 1/4 t ground cloves
• 1 t fennel seeds
• 1 T fresh oregano
• 2 lb fresh tomatoes, chopped
• 1/2 lb Monterey Jack cheese, grated
• 1/2 cup bread crumbs

1. Sprinkle zucchini and eggplant cubes with salt, and let sit on paper towels for 1-2 hours to absorb excess water.

2. Saute meat, onions and garlic for 5'. Add spices and continue to saute another 5 min. Add tomatoes and reduce to simmer for 10'.

3. In another pan, quick fry the zucchini and eggplant in 1 T olive oil.

4. In an ovenproof dish, combine the ingredients in layers: add zucchini and eggplant, cover with a layer of sauce, sprinkle with bread crumbs and grated cheese. Bake at 350 for 30'