Eggplant is a versatile vegetable, making its appearance in cuisines around the world. Famous for soaking up flavors, but also any oil it’s cooked in, there are simple hacks which will ensure that your eggplant is always tasty, never greasy. Read on for three ways with eggplant.
Eggplant Pasta
Ingredients:
- 1 cup of dried pasta
- 2 eggplants
- 1 cup of chopped tomatoes
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 cup of pine nuts
- 1 onion
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
Instructions:
Start by sweating the eggplant. Slice it into thin rounds, then coat each side with salt. Leave it for half an hour, the aubergine will produce a lot of liquid. Rinse the salt off, and pat dry with a paper towel. Set aside for now.
Slice the onion thinly, and then cook in a heavy based pan in 2 tbsp of olive oil. When it’s softened, add the tomatoes. Let this sauce simmer for 10 minutes.
In a separate pan, heat 2 tbsp of olive oil, and fry the slices of eggplant until they are golden on both sides. Leave them to drain any excess oil onto a paper towel.
In a pestle and mortar, grind the pine nuts until you have a paste. Quickly stir the lemon juice into this paste, and add to the tomato sauce.
Cook the pasta according to packet instructions, when you drain it reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta water. Stir the tomato sauce through the pasta, and then add the slices of eggplant to the pan. Serve immediately.
Roasted Eggplant
Ingredients:
- 2 eggplants
- 1 cup of chickpeas
- Smoked paprika
- 4 tbsp of olive oil
- 2 tbsp tahini
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
Instructions:
Slice each eggplant in half lengthways, and then prick the flesh with a fork. Drizzle some olive oil over each side, and season with salt and pepper. Wrap in foil, place in a roasting dish, and cook in an oven heated to 370°F for 40 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat 2 tbsp of olive oil in a pan. Add the chickpeas, and a sprinkling of smoked paprika. Fry until the chickpeas are dark golden in color and beginning to crisp. Mix the lemon juice with the tahini, and pour over the chickpeas.
Remove the eggplants from the oven, serve with the chickpeas on top and a fresh green salad on the side.
Eggplant Hummus
Ingredients:
- 2 eggplants
- 1 cup of chickpeas
- 1/2 cup of tahini
- 1/2 cup of olive oil
- 1/5 cup of lemon juice
- 1 tbsp harissa paste
- Salt
Instructions:
Slice each eggplant in half lengthways, and then prick the flesh with a fork. Drizzle some olive oil over each side, and season with salt and pepper. Wrap in foil, place in a roasting dish, and cook in an oven heated to 370°F for 40 minutes.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool. Add all of the ingredients, including the cooked eggplant, to a blender and blitz until it has reached the desired consistency. Serve on flatbreads, or alongside grilled meat.
