Eggplant, King of Middle Eastern Vegetables
Eggplant, King of Middle Eastern Vegetables

Once a stranger on the American culinary scene, eggplant has made great inroads on these shores in the past few decades.

Eggplant moussaka has become well known from Greek eateries, eggplant bharta from Indian ones, and ratatouille from French bistros. Baba ghanoush, Middle Eastern roasted eggplant dip with sesame paste, is easy to find not only at restaurants but also at supermarkets and natural foods stores.

Eggplant is most esteemed in the Mideast, where it is traditionally considered the king of vegetables. An old Arabic saying goes that a woman must know how to prepare eggplant 101 ways in order to be considered fit for marriage.

When I lived in the Middle East, I learned how multifaceted eggplant is. It can star in appetizers, entrees, side dishes and even sweets -- yes, my husband's Moroccan relatives make sweet eggplant preserves with sugar syrup.

Eggplant is not just for exotic or elaborate dishes. It is a valuable addition to all sorts of familiar favorites. Fried or grilled eggplant slices are a terrific topping for salads as well as for pizza. In a sandwich popular from New York to California, grilled eggplant slices are matched with roasted red peppers, tomato slices, goat cheese and sometimes pesto.

Chicken and meat stews benefit from sauteed or grilled chunks of eggplant. Sauteed strips of eggplant dress up pasta with tomato sauce and make for a satisfying summertime supper dish that's especially delicious when finished with basil and Parmesan or with feta and black olives. Eggplant cubes are delicious in rice pilaf, whether in its savory Turkish version with a touch of fresh tomato or in its spicy Indian interpretation with tiny dried hot peppers and black mustard seeds.

Eggplant slices are delectable when cooked with caramelized onions and mild chilies and topped with a simple sauce of yogurt and garlic. This preparation, an Afghani specialty, is also perfectly at home as a beginning to a dinner of American barbecued chicken.

Some people hesitate to cook eggplant, thinking its preparation is complicated, but eggplant is easy to use and more versatile than practically any other vegetable. Sauteing, deep frying, baking, grilling and braising all work wonderfully. You don't have to be concerned with overcooking eggplant, as it is at its best when very tender, and not crisp-tender like green vegetables. Eggplant is rarely eaten raw, although I once encountered thin, uncooked white eggplant slices served with a dipping sauce at a Cambodian restaurant; somehow it worked -- perhaps due to the fiery sauce.

Indeed, eggplant is best with plenty of seasoning and is a good vehicle for using spicy or salty foods. If I happen to make a hot sauce that I consider to be too pungent, I often find it a perfect addition to mashed baked eggplant.

Eggplant paired with spiced cold cuts makes a good basis for quick meals. If you like pastrami and eggs, try making pastrami with eggs and eggplant for a brunch or easy supper dish. The eggplant gives the dish a larger volume so it feels like you're eating more, thus improving the entree's nutritional profile.

Some cooks are concerned that their eggplant might be bitter. This should not happen if the eggplant is in good condition, fresh and well cooked. If a cooked eggplant turns out bitter, a little salt and extra virgin olive oil should correct the problem. If you would like to serve a more delicate eggplant than the common type, use the mild-flavored, excellent Chinese and Japanese varieties.

CHOOSING AND STORING EGGPLANT

Eggplants should be firm but not hard, and heavy for their size. Their skin should be glossy, with no bruises or brown spots, and the cap should be fresh-looking and bright green. The common kind of large eggplant, often labeled globe eggplant or American eggplant, should have an even, deep purple color. Some cooks feel that narrower ones tend to have fewer seeds and better flavor that those that are broad at the base.

Eggplant can be kept for three or four days in the refrigerator; after that it can become bitter, even if its appearance remains unchanged. Keep it uncut in an open plastic bag without letting other items press on it; if you purchased it wrapped in plastic, unwrap it before storing it.

Pastrami With Eggs & Eggplant Recipe

For a hearty breakfast, brunch or supper dish, eggplant is a good addition to eggs with pastrami or with any sliced spicy sausages or cured meats. I find the eggplant improves the flavor of these egg-and-meat dishes, making them lighter and not too salty. For this dish the eggs are poached in a mixture of eggplant, sauteed onion and tomato but you can scramble them instead. Serve the dish with fresh pita bread or other good flatbread.

Makes 2 or 4 servings

2 to 4 slices beef pastrami or turkey pastrami, cut in thin strips

1 to 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 onion, chopped

1 fairly small eggplant (1/2 to 3/4 pound), cut in small dice

Salt and freshly ground pepper

2 garlic cloves, chopped (optional)

1 large tomato, cut in small dice

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

4 eggs

Heat pastrami in a saute pan just until the fat runs. Remove with slotted spoon. Add oil to pan and heat over medium heat. Add onion and saute for 5 minutes or until beginning to brown. Add eggplant, salt and pepper. Cover and cook for 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in garlic, tomato and thyme. Cover and cook for 5 minutes or until eggplant is tender. Taste and adjust seasoning.

Make four depressions in vegetable mixture. Break each egg into a cup and slide it into a depression. Sprinkle eggs lightly with salt and pepper. Cover and cook for 2 minutes. Sprinkle meat strips around eggs. Cover and cook for 2 more minutes or until eggs are done to your taste. Serve hot.

Grilled Chicken & Eggplant in Tomato Cilantro Sauce Recipe

This eggplant recipe is often made with stewed beef instead of chicken. To make it lighter and faster, I use boneless chicken thighs, and I grill the chicken and the eggplant instead of frying them. They need only brief braising together to absorb flavor from the savory tomato sauce accented with garlic and allspice. Substitute dill or Italian parsley for the cilantro if you prefer. If you like, you can use boneless chicken breasts instead of thighs.

Makes 4 servings

1 to 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus a little more for brushing on eggplant and chicken

1 large onion, chopped

2 pounds ripe tomatoes, peeled, or a 28-ounce can tomatoes with their juice

6 large garlic cloves, chopped

Salt and freshly ground pepper

1/2 to 1 teaspoon ground allspice, or to taste, plus a little more for sprinkling

1 cup chicken broth

1 1/4 to 1 1/2 pounds eggplant (1 large or 2 medium), cut in crosswise slices about 3/8 inch thick

1 1/4 to 1 1/2 pounds boneless chicken thighs or breasts, with skin

2 to 3 teaspoons lemon juice (optional)

Cayenne pepper to taste (optional)

4 tablespoons chopped cilantro

Heat 1 to 2 tablespoons oil in a stew pan. Add onion and saute over medium heat for 7 minutes or until golden. Chop fresh or canned tomatoes and add to the pan. Add garlic, salt, pepper and 1/2 teaspoon allspice, and bring to a boil, stirring often. Stir in broth. Cover and cook over medium heat, stirring often, for 20 minutes or until thickened.

Prepare a grill or heat broiler with rack about 4 inches from heat source; or heat a ridged stovetop grill pan over medium-high heat. Brush grill rack lightly with oil. Brush eggplant with oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Add enough slices to make 1 layer in grill without crowding. Grill or broil for 3 or 4 minutes on each side or until nearly tender; remove. Continue with remaining slices.

Rub chicken with oil. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and allspice on both sides. Grill or broil chicken until nearly tender, about 5 minutes per side. Remove chicken skin if you like. Cut each chicken piece in 3 or 4 pieces. Quarter eggplant slices.

Taste sauce for seasoning, and add lemon juice, cayenne and more allspice if you like. Stir in 3 tablespoons cilantro. Add chicken and eggplant to stew pan and spoon sauce over them. Bring barely to a boil. Cover and simmer, occasionally stirring gently, for 5 minutes or until done. (See note below if you prefer to bake them instead.)

Eggplant should be tender when pierced with a fork. Cut into a thick chicken piece; its color should be white, not pink. If sauce is too thin, remove eggplant and chicken with a slotted spoon and simmer sauce until thickened. Serve eggplant and chicken in sauce, sprinkled with remaining cilantro.

Note: To bake chicken and eggplant, preheat oven to 375 F. Spoon a little sauce into a baking dish, top with eggplant and then with chicken, and spoon remaining sauce over it. Cover and bake for 10 to 15 minutes or until tender; uncover after 7 minutes if sauce is too thin.

Spicy Stewed Eggplant Recipe

This savory eggplant recipes gains its flavor from Yemenite seasonings. For extra zip, she always put some of her homemade garlic-hot pepper relish on the table so people could stir some into their stew. The eggplant makes a delicious vegetarian entree with rice or a good accompaniment for chicken, lamb or beef. As an easy variation, you can substitute 1 tablespoon curry powder for the spices.

Makes 4 servings

1 1/4 pounds eggplant

2 to 3 tablespoons vegetable oil or olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

6 large garlic cloves, minced

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground coriander (optional)

1/2 teaspoon turmeric

Salt and freshly ground pepper

1 1/2 pounds ripe tomatoes, diced, or a 28-ounce can diced tomatoes, juice reserved

1 tablespoon tomato paste (optional)

1 to 2 teaspoons hot pepper paste, chili garlic paste or hot sauce, or to taste

Cut eggplant in 3/4- or 1-inch dice. Heat oil in a heavy stew pan, add onion and saute over medium heat for 7 minutes or until golden brown. Stir in garlic. Add diced eggplant, cumin, coriander, turmeric, salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and stir over medium-low heat until eggplant is coated with onion mixture.

Add tomatoes with their juice and cook over high heat, stirring, until bubbling. Cover and simmer over medium-low heat, stirring often, for 30 minutes or until eggplant is tender. Mix tomato paste with 2 tablespoons water, add to stew and simmer uncovered for 2 minutes or until thickened to taste. Add hot pepper paste; taste and adjust seasoning. Serve hot or at room temperature.

Eggplant With Browned Onions, Mild Chilies & Yogurt Garlic Sauce Recipe

This appetizer of eggplant braised with chilies and tomatoes is popular among Persians and Afghanis. Traditionally, it is made with fried eggplant, but today many cooks broil the eggplant to make it lighter, as in this version. For the best flavor, brown the onions thoroughly, as they impart a delicate sweetness to the eggplant and contrast pleasantly with the yogurt. If you like, serve this dish as a light entree with fresh flatbread or Basmati rice.

Makes 4 servings as appetizer

1 cup plain yogurt, drained of any liquid

1 medium garlic clove, very finely minced

1/2 teaspoon dried mint

Salt and freshly ground pepper

2 slender eggplants or 1 large eggplant (total 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 pounds), cut in slices 1/4 inch thick

2 tablespoons vegetable oil (for onions) plus oil spray or 5 to 6 teaspoons oil (for eggplant)

2 large onions, halved and sliced thin

2 mild green chilies, such as Anaheim, or 1 small green pepper, seeded, halved and sliced thin

1 large ripe tomato, halved and sliced thin

1/4 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper to taste

Mix yogurt with garlic, mint and salt to taste. Reserve at room temperature.

Preheat broiler. Arrange eggplant in one layer on a foil-lined baking sheet or in broiler pan. Spray eggplant with oil spray or brush lightly with oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Broil for 5 minutes. Turn slices over, spray or brush with oil again and broil for 4 to 5 minutes or until just tender.

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a deep saute pan. Add onions and saute over medium heat, stirring often, for 12 minutes or until well browned. Remove half of onions. Add half of green chili and half of tomato slices to pan. Top with all of eggplant and sprinkle with pepper flakes. Add remaining chili and tomato slices. Top with remaining sauteed onion. Pour 1/2 cup water into pan and bring to a simmer. Cover and simmer over medium-low heat for 7 minutes, then over low heat for 10 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Serve hot or warm, with the yogurt sauce at room temperature.

Vermicelli With Japanese Eggplant, Basil & Parmesan Recipe

This dish is perfect for mid- or late summer, matching the eggplant and pasta with favorite Mediterranean flavor accents -- olive oil, garlic, tomatoes, basil and a touch of Parmesan. I like to use delicate Japanese or Chinese eggplants, as they make small, attractive slices, but you can substitute Italian eggplants or use regular globe eggplant cut in quarter slices. If you like, add pitted black olives and capers, or replace the Parmesan with the more pungent Pecorino-Romano or with crumbled feta cheese.

Makes 4 first-course servings

8 ounces Japanese or Chinese eggplants

2 red or yellow bell peppers, or 1 yellow and 1 red, seeds and ribs discarded (optional)

6 to 7 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

4 large garlic cloves, minced

12 ounces ripe plum tomatoes, peeled, seeded, chopped; or 1 1/4 cups chopped drained canned tomatoes

8 ounces vermicelli

1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving

1/4 cup thin strips of fresh basil leaves

Cut eggplants in crosswise slices about 1/4 inch thick. Cut peppers in about 2- by 1/4-inch strips.

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add eggplant, quickly sprinkle with salt and pepper and saute about 2 minutes per side or until tender when pierced with a fork. Transfer to an ovenproof platter. Add 2 tablespoons oil to skillet and heat over medium heat. Add peppers and saute about 10 minutes or until tender. Transfer to a platter. Cover eggplant and peppers and keep warm in a 350 F oven.

Add 1 tablespoon oil to skillet and heat over medium-low heat. Add garlic and saute for 1/2 minute. Add tomatoes, salt and pepper and cook over high heat, stirring often, about 10 minutes or until soft and thick. Taste and adjust seasoning. Keep warm over low heat.

Cook vermicelli uncovered in a large pot of boiling salted water over high heat, separating strands occasionally with fork, about 7 minutes or until tender but firm to the bite. Drain well and transfer to a heated serving bowl.

Add remaining 1 or 2 tablespoons olive oil to pasta and toss. Add tomato sauce and toss. Reserve a few eggplant slices, pepper strips and basil strips for garnish. Add remaining eggplant and peppers to pasta and toss. Add remaining basil and 1/4 cup Parmesan and toss again. Taste and adjust seasoning.

Scatter reserved pepper strips over top; arrange eggplant slices in ring on top near edge of bowl and sprinkle basil strips in center. Serve hot, sprinkled with freshly ground pepper, and with a bowl of extra Parmesan.

Faye Levy is the author of "Feast from the Mideast: 250 Sun-Drenched Dishes from the Lands of the Bible (Cookbooks)" and the award-winning "Faye Levy's International Vegetable Cookbook: Over 300 Sensational Recipes from Argentina to Zaire and Artichokes to Zucchini"

Available at Amazon.com: Faye Levy's Cookbooks

 

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