Eggplant, also known as aubergine or brinjal is a delicious vegetable which can be used in a variety of ways. In Pakistani and Indian cuisine, eggplant is usually stuffed, pickled, roasted, and fried, and in other cuisines it can be grilled, breaded, and baked as well.
In Italian cuisine, it is marinated and tenderized in salt to remove some of its bitterness.
With their stunning dark purple skin, eggplants add a lovely pop of color to any dish. Here are some notes on how to buy, cut, and store eggplants.
Eggplants are available throughout the year, but the prime time for eggplant harvesting is August and September. At the grocery store always look for eggplants that have smooth, visibly shiny skin without any pigmentation spots or bruises. When picking out an eggplant, firmly press your finger against its skin- if the skin is soft it indicates that the vegetable is aged.
Eggplants tend to rot easily, and their skin blackens quickly. So, storing cut eggplants can be difficult. When uncut, an eggplant can last up to 3 or 4 days in the fridge.
Always handle eggplants carefully as they can bruise very quickly. After buying the eggplant, store it by wrapping in plastic. Eggplants that are cooked in the form of stew or chunks can be stored for up to 2 days, but will get slightly mushy when re-heated.
First, cut off the top head of an eggplant. Then thinly slice it in rounds.
To cut the eggplants into small wedges, remove the top and then cut it in to equal quarters. Working with 2 at a time, slice through the eggplants and cut all the way to the end.
To cut the eggplant into wedges that are slightly bigger than the normal wedge, do not cut the eggplant into half, rather slice it to make thin wedges.
Now that you know all about eggplants, get your kitchen tools ready to make exciting eggplant dishes.
