If you don’t know how to cook eggplant, you are missing out on a flavorful and nutrient-dense addition to your culinary routine.
How to Cook Eggplant?
There are quite a few ways to cook eggplant, including baking, roasting, stuffing, and frying, among others. [1]
Baking
- If you want to bake an eggplant, you can do it one of two ways, either whole or in slices.
- Your average eggplant can be sliced 5-6 times and these slices can be laid on a baking sheet, seasoned, and then baked at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 25 minutes until they turn a golden brown.
- If you are baking a whole eggplant, throw the entire thing into the oven on a baking sheet and cook for 30 minutes at 400 degrees.
- Since eggplants are primarily made of water, it will steam itself, creating a creamy, delicious texture when it is finished, which is perfect for baba ganoush.
Eggplant is a popular vegetable and a good source of antioxidants. Photo Credit: Shutterstock
Serving Size : Nutrient Value Water [g] 92.3 Energy 25 Energy [kJ] 104 Protein [g] 0.98 Total lipid (fat) [g] 0.18 Ash [g] 0.66 Carbohydrate, by difference [g] 5.88 Fiber, total dietary [g] 3 Sugars, total including NLEA [g] 3.53 Sucrose [g] 0.26 Glucose (dextrose) [g] 1.58 Fructose [g] 1.54 Calcium, Ca [mg] 9 Iron, Fe [mg] 0.23 Magnesium, Mg [mg] 14 Phosphorus, P [mg] 24 Potassium, K [mg] 229 Sodium, Na [mg] 2 Zinc, Zn [mg] 0.16 Copper, Cu [mg] 0.08 Manganese, Mn [mg] 0.23 Selenium, Se [µg] 0.3 Vitamin C, total ascorbic acid [mg] 2.2 Thiamin [mg] 0.04 Riboflavin [mg] 0.04 Niacin [mg] 0.65 Pantothenic acid [mg] 0.28 Vitamin B-6 [mg] 0.08 Folate, total [µg] 22 Folate, food [µg] 22 Folate, DFE [µg] 22 Choline, total [mg] 6.9 Vitamin A, RAE [µg] 1 Carotene, beta [µg] 14 Vitamin A, IU [IU] 23 Lutein + zeaxanthin [µg] 36 Vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol) [mg] 0.3 Vitamin K (phylloquinone) [µg] 3.5 Fatty acids, total saturated [g] 0.03 16:0 [g] 0.03 18:0 [g] 0.01 Fatty acids, total monounsaturated [g] 0.02 16:1 [g] 0 18:1 [g] 0.01 Fatty acids, total polyunsaturated [g] 0.08 18:2 [g] 0.06 18:3 [g] 0.01 Phytosterols [mg] 7 Tryptophan [g] 0.01 Threonine [g] 0.04 Isoleucine [g] 0.05 Leucine [g] 0.06 Lysine [g] 0.05 Methionine [g] 0.01 Cystine [g] 0.01 Phenylalanine [g] 0.04 Tyrosine [g] 0.03 Valine [g] 0.05 Arginine [g] 0.06 Histidine [g] 0.02 Alanine [g] 0.05 Aspartic acid [g] 0.16 Glutamic acid [g] 0.19 Glycine [g] 0.04 Proline [g] 0.04 Serine [g] 0.04 Sources include : USDA [2]
Roasting
- You will want to slice the eggplant into chunks and then sprinkle them with salt.
- Allow them to sit for 30 minutes before rinsing them off with water.
- Then thoroughly dry the chunks of the eggplant.
- Arrange them on a baking sheet that has been lightly greased and drizzle the sheet with olive oil. Toss to coat the eggplant.
- Roast the eggplant at 400 degrees for 20 minutes, then flip the chunks and roast for another 10-20 minutes.
Grilling
- Cut the eggplant into slices and then sprinkle them with salt, storing them in a colander for an hour.
- Rinse the slices with cold water and then season them with pepper and olive oil.
- Grill the slices over an open flame for 5-10 minutes until they are seared and brown.
Frying
- Heat a skillet with oil while you prepare the eggplant slices.
- First dip the slices of eggplant in the egg wash, then in breadcrumbs or panko.
- Place the eggplant in the frying oil for 2-3 minutes on each side, until they are golden-brown and crispy.
Stuffing
If you scoop out the center of the eggplant, then put in mixed vegetables and ground beef, you can bake the stuffed eggplant for 45 minutes at 400 degrees for a delicious stuffed dinner.
