Eggplant “Unagi”: Easy Recipe! - The Woks of Life (2024)

FAQs

What is the trick to cooking eggplant? ›

Eggplants are known to absorb a lot of fat while cooking. A useful tip to prevent sogginess and greasiness is to salt sliced or diced eggplant and let it sit for an hour. This helps to draw out moisture. Next, rinse and drain any liquid from the sliced eggplant, then pat dry before cooking.

What's the difference between eggplant and Chinese eggplant? Chinese eggplants have fewer seeds than globes, which reduces their bitterness. And they have a thin skin. While they can be substituted for each other, globes may be less sweet, influencing the outcome of the final dish.

Depending on variety and size, and how they are cut, eggplants take 15 to 25 minutes to fully cook. Undercook them and you'll be left with a bitter-tasting veggie that has the texture of a cotton ball, says Norton. "Most recipes can accurately predict how much time it will take for eggplants to fully cook.

Soaking the eggplants in water will help them absorb less oil later on. Soak the eggplants in a vinegar water solution for 5-10 minutes also helps preserve the beautiful purple eggplant color after they are cooked.

The other trick for perfect roasted eggplant? Cooking it at a high temperature (425 F / 218 C) for enough time (25-30 minutes) to give it a browned exterior and tender interior.

Why Do Eggplants Turn Brown? Eggplants can have brown spots for two reasons: It's either the result of a process called enzymatic browning, or it's going bad. Enzymatic browning will only alter your eggplant's appearance, while a rotting eggplant will show additional indicators of spoilage.

When the weather gets hot, eggplants can prematurely turn yellow due to sun overexposure. Try using a shade cloth to protect those tender eggplants from sunburn, but don't forget to watch them carefully so you don't miss out! As you've discovered, some summer vegetables can overwinter in milder climates.

Compared to other eggplant varieties, Japanese eggplants are the sweeter and milder of the bunch. Their flavor, texture, color, and shape are akin to a Chinese eggplant, and it can be hard to differentiate between the two. However, Japanese eggplants are slightly sweeter and less bitter.

It helps draw out moisture from the eggplant. You don't have to salt eggplant though, it depends on the texture your looking for. Salting gives it a more creamy texture when cooked and not salting helps the eggplant hold up and be a little firmer after cooked.

You mentioned that once they turned out tough and chewy: then they were not cooked fully through. Vegetables are not like meat, which turn rubbery when overcooked. They turn soft rather. Watch out for the opposite as well: Eggplants when cooked for a long time may turn mushy.

Why do you soak eggplant in water and vinegar? ›

Soaking eggplant in water and vinegar helps remove some of the vegetable's natural bitterness.

Eggplant is susceptible to enzymatic browning, when fruits and veggies begin to brown after being exposed to oxygen (think: an apple or avocado that turns brown). If you cut the eggplant and notice browning shortly afterward, the eggplant is safe to eat.

Eggplant is a high-fiber, low-calorie food that is rich in nutrients and comes with many potential health benefits. From reducing the risk of heart disease to helping with blood sugar control and weight loss, eggplants are a simple and delicious addition to any healthy diet.

While the skin of a small young eggplant is edible, the skin becomes bitter on larger or older eggplants and should be peeled. When in doubt, the answer to, "Do you peel eggplant before cooking?" is yes, peel it. Use a vegetable peeler or paring knife to remove the skin.

Brining (soaking in salted water) will do the same job but also make the flesh super creamy. To brine, dissolve 1 tablespoon of salt in 1 cup of boiling water, stir in 1 litre of cold water, and drop in the sliced eggplant. Place a saucepan lid on top to keep it submerged, leave for 1 hour, then drain and pat dry.

“The absorptiveness of eggplant can be reduced by collapsing its spongy structure before frying,” he writes. Which you can do by microwaving it before frying (!) or salting slices that'll draw out the water and close up those air pockets, giving you a firmer flesh to work with.