There are many delicious complex recipes that have eggplant (or aubergine) as their ingredient. But here we will share with you a single, amazingly yummy and super simple recipe which basically makes use of eggplant only and which is a very good answer when it’s just you, a couple of minutes, an empty stomach and an eggplant hankering.
And might we just add – an excellent choice of hankering?
At any rate, the easiest (and in my humble opinion, the tastiest) way to cook eggplant is as follows.
You will need:
1 eggplant
salt
4-5 cloves of garlic
For the dip:
Full fat white yogurt (Greek-style)
Couple of cloves of garlic (depending on the strength of the garlic, the strength of your love for garlic, and on your upcoming social engagements)
Salt, pepper
Wash the eggplant well, cut it into roughly quarter-of-an-inch thick slices, keeping the skin on. Lay the slices out on a plate or any clean surface and sprinkle them liberally with salt from both sides. This will draw out excess moisture and make sure you will not have to chew your way vigorously through wet leather. Let the slices lie for about 20 minutes. (If you forget about them, no problem, they can wait for you happily even for a few hours.)
In the meantime, peel and crush loads of garlic, save half for the eggplant and put the rest in the yoghurt together with salt and pepper. If you want a very smooth dip, you can crush the little bits of garlic that come out of the garlic press with the flat of your knife, crushing and grinding it together with salt and pepper to make a smooth paste which you then mix into the yoghurt. But in our experience, the slight texture is only desirable and makes for a more fun dip.
Once you notice that nice beads of water have formed on your eggplant, dry them off with kitchen roll. Wipe the eggplants well, otherwise they will end up heavily oversalted, you’ll have to use a few bits of kitchen roll.
Start warming up the pan.
Smear the eggplant slices with a desired amount of crushed garlic from both sides.
Put some oil on the pan – light olive oil goes very nicely with eggplant, other suggestions for good oil can be found here. Put the eggplant slices on the heated pan and roast just as you like them.
This is an incredibly simple dish with just a few ingredients, but the flavors really do sing together and we hope you will enjoy them – alone, with buttered bread, a toast, or some other roasted veggies – however you may fancy!
And as you’re waiting for the delightful vegetable to roast, here are a few facts on what a healthful choice you’ve made!
While being a rather low-carb, low-calorie choice, eggplant is a source of many vitamins and minerals – C, K, B6, B1, B3, folic acid, manganese, magnesium, copper, potassium, phosphorus, of course fiber, and other beneficial nutrients.
Eggplant, by binding cholesterol, helps you maintain a healthy heart.
It contains some promising substances (solasodine rhamnosyl glycosides) which are being studied for its cancer-fighting properties.
Due to substances responsible for its pleasing color, it may help reduce osteoporosis and strengthen your bones.
Also, if you suffer from anemia, the iron and calcium that eggplant contains are very good news for you!
And one last fact – did you know that it’s technically a fruit?
Fruit, vegetable or alien visitor, we wish you will enjoy your eggplant, bon apétit and very good health!