How To Cook Eggplant Healthy

Eggplant is a member of the nightshade group of foods and in the same family as potatoes and tomatoes. It is a native to India and is indigenous to other areas in Asia along with the Amazon rain forests.

Eggplant is popular because of its versatility and also because of its unique taste and texture. It is also the perfect staple for vegetarian diets and is used frequently in Indian and Mediterranean dishes.

Many health benefits come with consuming eggplant. They are fat free, and very low calorie. They are loaded with flavonoids and antioxidants. Studies have shown that eating eggplant can help lower cholesterol and also help protect against the aging effects of free radicals. They are also rich in potassium and folic acid.

There are many varieties of eggplant, the dark purple version being more readily available in North America and Europe. A bigger variety is available in India and Asia. They come in a variety of colors including white, yellow and green along with some that are a reddish purple and a dark purple. All are delicious and easy to cook.

When purchasing your eggplant, the fresher the better. Keep in mind that the shinier and deeper the color is, the fresher the eggplant will be. If you use an eggplant that isn't fresh you will experience a bitter taste. A lot of cooks swear by salting the eggplant to get rid of some of the bitterness found with eggplant but it usually isn't very effective. The most effective thing about salting is that it removes some of the moisture out of the eggplant helping it stay firm before and after cooking. If you salt the eggplant you'll need to wash it afterwards to get rid of some of the sodium, especially if you are watching your salt intake.

The first thing you need to know is that eggplant works like a sponge when it comes to soaking up all the oil you use with it, so go easy on the oil.

There are many ways to cook eggplant including stir frying, baking, roasting and even grilling. It is a great addition to a vegetarian diet and is often used as a replacement for meat or poultry. You can also serve it mashed like mashed potatoes or bake it as you would a baked potato. Just poke a few holes in a good sized eggplant, stick it in the oven and bake. You'll want to occasionally keep poking it with small holes until it finally collapses. If you grill it, leave the skin and peel it off when it's cooked, leaving the eggplant inside in one piece.

However you choose to cook your eggplant you need to make sure it is thoroughly cooked or it won't taste good and could ruin a meal. It is considered thoroughly cooked if it's soft, smooth and creamy. If you learn to cook it right, it will blend beautifully with the flavors or food that you cook it with.

If you want to stir fry eggplant, start with a Chinese or Japanese eggplant. They cook a lot faster, which keeps them from soaking up as much oil as other varieties of eggplant. You'll want to cut them into 1/2 squares.

When the oil is hot (you don't need a lot of oil - maybe 1/2 inch), add the eggplant cubes and stir fry only until they appear to be a nice brown color. Move them to a paper towel or strainer to let any remaining oil drain from them.