Sunday, November 19, 2017

STUFFED JAPANESE AUBERGINE

These beautiful Japanese aubergine are baked at 350 degress F for 15 minutes and filled with delicious stuffing of ginger, garlic, sauteed tomatoes, aubergine and a host of spices!


This season my garden harvested heaps of gorgeous Japanese aubergines. We had lot of fun sharing it with our neighbours and making some delicious tasty recipes with these beauties. Japanese eggplants are long and narrow with edible seeds. They are generally less bitter and more tender than the other varieties of eggplants.

These beautiful Japanese aubergines are stuffed with the delicious mixture of ginger, garlic, tomatoes, aubergine and a host of spices! You can also add vinegar and/or soy sauce in the ratio of 1:1 to get the extra flavor, but that's totally optional. This dish not only look beautiful but taste amazingly good! You can serve them as an appetizer or as a side dish.

It's a simple, quick and healthy side dish which is low in cholesterol and rich in antioxidants, magnesium, potassium and dietary fiber.

Last weekend, my Mom cooked these stuffed aubergines for the entire family. I ate one of these babies and it was so good. It has a wonderful crispy crust on the outside and on the inside it is delicious creamy and soft.

To prepare the dish, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Brush the eggplants with oil and place in a baking dish. Cover with foil and bake for about 15 minutes or tender. Meanwhile to make the stuffing, add olive oil in a pan and fry ginger and garlic and stir. Add tomatoes and green chillis, stir for about 4 minutes. Using a spoon, scoop out the flesh of the eggplant and add it into the pan. Add all the spices and stir it well. Drizzle some soy sauce or/and vinegar to get the extra flavor, but that's optional. Now, give it a good stir and switch off the flame. Fill in the aubergines with the stuffing and serve warm or at room temperature with lemon squeezed over.

They can also be cooked in a gas stove. Just add oil in a pan and rotate these aubergines till it turn soft and tender. Then fill the stuffing in the aubergine and serve.

Give this a try! you will surely love it!
Happy weekend!!



STUFFED JAPANESE AUBERGINE

Serves: 3 people
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 20-25 minutes
Author: The Food Root

INGREDIENTS

4 eggplants -  cut them in half lengthwise
3 large tomatoes, finely chopped
1/2 inch - ginger, grated
4 cloves - garlic, finely minced
2 green chillis, chopped
1/2 teaspoon - turmeric powder
1/2 teaspoon - cumin powder
1/4 teaspoon - red chilli powder
1/2 teaspoon - salt or as per taste
1/2 teaspoon - soy sauce (optional)
1/2 teaspoon - vinegar (optional)
1 teaspoon - lemon juice (optional)
fresh coriander leaves, chopped

DIRECTIONS

1. Cut the eggplant in half lengthwise. Then cut deep into the centre, making a crisscross pattern but not cutting through the skin.

2. Sprinkle some salt on the eggplant and keep it aside, for atleast 10-15 minutes. Then rinse thoroughly with water to remove the salt - (this step can be avoided, as we are using Japanese aubergines which are rarely bitter and doesn't need salting)

3. Preheat your oven to 180C/356F. Spread the eggplants in a single layer onto a pre-heated baking tray by lightly brushing it with olive oil. Roast it for 15 minutes in an oven, until it's evenly cooked. If they turn, soft and tender, they are done. Keep it aside and allow it to cool for couple of minutes.

4. Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a medium pan, add ginger and garlic. Stir, for about 1 minute till it turns golden brown. Add chopped tomatoes and chopped green chillis, stir for about 4 minutes on medium flame. Using a spoon, scoop out the flesh of the eggplant and add it into the pan. Add all the spices (salt, turmeric powder, cumin powder and red chilli powder) and stir it well. Then, add handful of fresh coriander leaves, soy sauce or/and vinegar to get the flavor, but that's totally optional. Now, give it a good stir and switch off the flame. The stuffing is ready.

5. Fill in the aubergines with the stuffing and serve warm or at room temperature with lemon squeezed over.

NOTES

1. Sprinkle some salt on the eggplant and keep it aside, for atleast 10 minutes, as salting eggplant pulls the moisture from the eggplant. Then rinse it thoroughly to remove the salt.

2. For roasting the dish in a gas stove, add oil in a pan and rotate these aubergines till it turn soft and tender. Then fill the stuffing in the aubergine and serve warm or at room temperature.

3. You can also add vinegar and/or soy sauce in the stuffing to get the extra flavor, but that's totally optional.



Friday, November 3, 2017

AUBERGINE


Japanese aubergine are long and narrow with edible seeds. They are usually 4-5 inches long and 1-2 inches wide.

Aubergine is typically a fruit but eaten as a vegetable. It grow in the same manner like tomatoes and peppers. They are usually deep purple in color, vary in different shapes and sizes and are harvested in mid to late summers. You can find this vegetable at any farmer's market or at any grocery shop. They are the most versatile vegetable available all across the globe.

They can be planted both in containers or a small patch of the garden. Harvesting too early or harvesting too late, would lead to poor quality and poor storage and hence is a cause for bitter taste of the fruit.


They are long and narrow with edible seeds. They are usually 4-5 inches long and 1-2 inches wide. They are generally less bitter and more tender than the other varieties of eggplants.


We harvested lots of Japanese Aubergines this year

Spices like Oregano, dried basil, thyme, black pepper, garlic powder, goes well with Aubergine. There are various ways to cook aubergine. You can grill, roast, mash, stuff them with a flavorful filling and stir fry it. They are low in cholesterol and rich in antioxidants, magnesium, potassium, and dietary fiber. Best eaten fresh, they can be added in stews, salads, soups, dips, curries and purees.

This season we have harvested heaps of Japanese aubergines. I'm planning to make an easy stuffed aubergine recipe this week. It's super simple, healthy and delicious.

Have you ever tried stuffed aubergine recipe yet? It has a smooth, creamy texture and a smoky taste. I'm going to share the recipe this weekend! So, do check this space out!