How to cook eggplant in 6 easy ways

You can never have enough vegetables right? Well, eggplant is one of those fibre and anti-oxidant-rich vegetables that easily adds nutrition to your meals. You can use a variety of cooking methods with this delicious vegetable that even your picky eaters will appreciate. Whether you prefer sautéing, roasting, grilling or frying, eggplant can be cooked to cater to any taste preference. So, if you only knew one or two methods of cooking eggplant, read on for some more ways that’ll wow your tastebuds!

How to Prepare Eggplant

As with any fruit or vegetable, you need to know how to prepare your eggplant first before you start cooking it.

Start by washing the eggplant thoroughly and cutting off the stem and bottom. Once it’s clean, you can then slice it into rounds, cubes, or strips, depending on how you plan to cook it. If you're using a larger eggplant, you may want to remove some of the bitter seeds by salting it and letting it sit for 30 minutes before rinsing it off and patting it dry.

How to Cook Eggplant in a Pan

One of the easiest and most popular ways to cook eggplant is in a pan. To do this, heat a tablespoon of olive oil (or any oil you prefer) in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add the sliced eggplant to the pan and season with salt and pepper. Cook the eggplant for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it is tender and golden brown. 

You can also add other ingredients to the pan, such as garlic, onions, and herbs, to add more flavour to the dish. Serve this tasty eggplant as a side. Or, if you have the time, add some tofu, capsicums and some stir-fry sauce to make a beautiful Eggplant-Tofu stir-fry to serve with jasmine rice or Mexican rice, or any starch of your choice.

How to Cook Eggplant in an Air Fryer

If you want to cook eggplant with less oil, an air fryer is a great option. To cook eggplant in an air fryer, preheat the air fryer to 375°F. Coat the eggplant slices with a thin layer of olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place the eggplant slices in the air fryer basket and cook for 10-12 minutes, flipping the slices halfway through, until they are crispy and tender. 

You can make the recipe more interesting by making eggplant fries. Cut the eggplant into long thin fries and coat them with breadcrumbs before adding them to the air fryer. Eggplant fries can be served with any dipping sauce of your liking. 

How to Cook Eggplant in an Oven

Roasting eggplant in the oven is another easy and delicious way to cook it. To do this, preheat the oven to 400°F. Toss the eggplant slices with olive oil, salt, and pepper, and spread them out in a single layer on a baking sheet. Roast the eggplant for 20-25 minutes, flipping the slices halfway through, until they are tender and golden brown. 

Learning how to roast eggplant will also help you when making a dish like ratatouille. The ingredients for this traditional French cuisine include, of course, eggplant, roasted bell peppers, tomatoes, zucchini, and other vegetables. It makes the ideal meatless dish suitable for both vegans and vegetarians alike.  You can use it as a side dish or a bread topping. 

How to bake eggplant

While we are discussing how to cook eggplant in the oven, why not also talk about how to bake eggplant? We absolutely think this is the best way to cook eggplant. Simply halve the eggplant lengthwise and scoop out some of the flesh - leave about a half inch shell. Chop up the flesh you scooped out and add it to other ingredients you want to use as a filling. We propose some ground beef or minced meat, a variety of other vegetables and some mozzarella cheese sprinkled on top. Bake your stuffed eggplant at 350°F 25 to 35 minutes or until heated through and the eggplant shells are just tender.This is quite a quick and easy meal for dinner.

How to Cook Eggplant on a Stove

If you don't have a pan or an oven, you can still cook eggplant on a stove. To do this, you'll need a grill pan or a cast-iron skillet. Heat the pan over medium-high heat and add a tablespoon of olive oil. When the oil is hot, add the eggplant slices and cook for 3-4 minutes on each side, until they are tender and golden brown. The recipe doesn’t necessarily have to end there. Try it as an Eggplant Parmigiana recipe. 

Before frying the eggplant slices you can also bread them, then when they’re fried, add some marinara sauce, mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. Bake the ingredients for a short while - until the cheese has nicely melted and it’s bubbly. Serve this with some garlic bread - you won’t regret it!

How to Grill Eggplant

Instead of slicing, you can cut your eggplants in half lengthwise. Brush olive oil, melted butter, cooking oil, or an oil-based marinade liberally on each side of the slices. Doing so will prevent the eggplant from sticking to the grill rack. Season with herbs, salt, and black pepper to taste. 

For a charcoal grill: On a rack directly over medium coals, arrange the eggplant. Turning regularly, grill uncovered for about 8 minutes or until crisp-tender.

For a gas grill: Warm up the grill then reduce the heat to medium. Place your eggplant directly on the grill rack. Grill under cover for 8 minutes or until crisp-tender. Also make  sure to turn the eggplant regularly.

As mentioned earlier, eggplant is so versatile that you can make endless recipes with it. Here are some more ways to enjoy eggplant:

Thai Chicken Eggplant Green Curry

For a warming and filling dish, cook eggplant and chicken breast in a flavourful green curry with shrimp paste and fish sauce. Serve with flatbread or over rice. 

Baba Ghanoush

This is one great eggplant recipe from the Middle East. Baba Ghanoush is a dip that you can perfectly serve with some fresh vegetables or pita bread. 

Authentic Sicilian caponata

This is one Italian side dish your family will enjoy. 

Eggplant and tuna pasta 

Eggplant and tuna combine really well in this pasta giving you a really hearty meal your whole family can enjoy.

Persian eggplant stew

Enjoy this eggplant recipe over some rice. Mix up the eggplant with some beef or lamband have yourself a great dinner.