HOW TO COOK WITH AUBERGINE-Nutrition information and cooking methods
I am CURRENTLY a PRACTICING PHYSICIAN .However, I did complete TWO YEARS of college studying GENERAL BIOCHEMISTRY AND MICROBIOLOGY, Food technology,Food Microbiology and Biochemistry prior to deciding that I am more inclined to the CLINICAL SIDE of things and hence decided to get into MEDICAL SCIENCE .I did very well in medical school thereafter and am now a "kick-ass" doctor .My interest in "Food" and the "Science of cooking" continues to this day and explains why I now have a Food blog as part of my LECINQBLOG family.I seek to dispel FOOD FADS, food myths via this food blog.I seek also to increase health awareness by canvassing for healthier diets.
Aubergine is called by a few other names depending on the country. It is a middle eastern vegetable which traveled along with the arab conquesters to all of their places of conquest.THE AUBERGINE is also called THE EGGPLANT and then the BRINJAL.DID i miss out any other names?
This vegetable has now been adopted well as an integral part of so many world cuisines.
The french,The greek,Moroccans,japanese,chinese,Indians,middle eastern folks,turkish, all have THEIR own take on how to cook it.Each of them different, and each of them equally tasty.
The eggplant comes in a few different shapes.The original shape is an OBLONG shape much like the current day japanese eggplant.We also have this ROUNDED MINI VARIETIES these days.Quite fetching when it comes to cooking traditional indian and south asian recipes.We have GREEN VARIETIES of aubergine.These are green even when fully ripe.We have WHITE VARIETIES of aubergine which have a more fruity taste.
Thanks to AGRICULTURAL GENETIC ENGINEERING..we now have this HUMUNGOUSLY LARGE AUBERGINE.Given that it has a large white meaty inside, it might work great for middle eastern recipes for aubergine dips..but then, it appears that, some allergies are more frequent with genetically engineered aubergines.(citation needed)
So,yeah,JUST LIKE I PROMISED IN THE TITLE, let us talk about COOKING methods now!
The indians ,chinese and other south asian cultures cook it like a STIR FRY WITH SPICES.The thai and other south east asian countries simmer it in coconut based gravy curries much like a STEW.
Italians use a tomato based sauce but in a different way from the RATATOUILLE OF FRANCE.Greeks bread fry aubergine.Italians and turkey folks do the same too but deviate just a bit. ABOUT BREADING and frying AUBERGINE,Both the japanese and INDIANS do a tempura/bajji VARIETY of breading and frying it too,which tastes very different from the european method.
THE MIDDLE EASTERN PEOPLE , and ARABS, make something called a BABA GANOUSH..They roast,peel and then use the flesh to make a fragrant garlicky dip..
The western method of dealing with eggplant is to oven heat it with TONS OF OIL and peel of the skin prior to eating too.SO IT ENDS UP AN OILY mess .I THINK of this method as the MOST UNHEALTHY and LEAST DESIRABLE method of dealing with an aubergine.
MY PERSONAL TAKE WOULD BE,
a/don't over cook it till it loses all its nutrition.Stewing is great...meaty aubergine mouthfuls,mmmm and healthy.While stewing wait till it softens completely.Nothing yuckier than an uncooked/undercooked aubergine
b/roasting or grilling is fine but DON'T remove the charred skin prior to whizzing it to puree or dip.INCLUDE THE CHARRED SKIN while making the dip....
c/don't OVEN cook it ...DON'T USE TOO MUCH GREASE while cooking it either.OVEN cooking usually WASTES cooking fuel or electricity .
NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION
Contrary to what all the ILL-INFORMED ignorant chefs tell you that IT HAS no real nutrition and no real taste except that is like a sponge AND thus absorbs all spices well,blah blah blah...aubergine DOES HAVE ITS VERY UNIQUE AROMA AND SMELL AND TASTE AND has decent quantities of potassium,choline and folic acid in it..IF COOKED MILDLY it manages to retain some water soluble vitamins in it too.COOKING it delicately allows aubergine to RETAIN it's original flavor is the trick.
So, buy some aubergine and EXPERIMENT will ya..
POSTNOTE: Recipes not included due to plagiarism concerns.I device and design my own recipes all the time and I am saving up all recipes for a FUTURE VEGETARIAN COOKBOOK.
(Interested Cookbook publishers/food magazines/book agents/TV production houses , Please quote a valid office postal address and phone number along with your work email while sending a proposal to me.I regret to say that I am unable to respond to people contacting me with no OFFICIAL postal address or office phone number)
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tAGS: #aubergine , #brinjal , #eggplant , #nutrition_info , #vegetables , #cooking_methods
