Eggplants occupy almost the same place as Bulgarian pepper in terms of popularity. But if the preparation of pepper does not cause any particular difficulties, then many questions arise about the eggplants. Most often they are interested in how to fry eggplants in a pan, so that they do not soften, turn into mashed potatoes, lose shape, and do not taste bitter.
The peculiarity of eggplants is that they are edible only at the stage of technical ripeness, as long as they have light, soft and practically merging seeds with pulp.
With age, eggplant accumulates a substance dangerous to human health - solanine. By the time of ripening, its seeds accumulate in eggplants so much that the fruits become bitter and unfit for human consumption.
The presence of solanine can be determined by cutting a slice from the eggplant. If it is on the slice darkens to a yellow-brown color, it means that there is a lot of this substance in it. From the minimum amount of solanine, the pulp of eggplant darkens slightly.
But there are varieties of eggplants in which this substance does not accumulate even in the stage of physiological maturity. Therefore, even adult fruits can be taken for cooking.
Eggplant is used in many dishes. They are salted, pickled, stewed, baked, fried.
Fried eggplants can be served as a separate dish, as well as in addition to meat, mashed potatoes, and other vegetables.
How to prepare eggplants for frying
- For frying, use young eggplants. They have thin skin that does not need to be cut off. This means that the eggplants in the process of heat treatment will retain the shape that you give them.
- Eggplants, intended for frying, cut into slices or plates about 1-1.5 cm thick. Slices of such thickness have time to fry well for a few minutes, do not soak up the oil, do not deform.
- If you got a slightly overgrown eggplant and you suspect that they will taste bitter, after cutting, fold them into a wide bowl, sprinkle with salt and leave for half an hour, pinching it with a small bend.
- During this time, juice will stand out, which will remove all the bitterness. By the way, the seeds after such a manipulation are also well removed. It is enough to put chopped eggplants in a colander and rinse under cold water.
- Instead of salt, you can use salted water. Pour it chopped eggplant and leave for half an hour. Then throw them in a colander and wait for the liquid to drain. No need to squeeze the eggplant hands, as advised in some recipes, otherwise they will lose their round shape and become crumpled.
- Leave them in a colander for a while, then blot with a paper towel to remove the remaining moisture. The better you dry the eggplants, the faster they will fry, not having time to soften much.
- If you want to finally get an eggplant with a ruddy, crispy crust, before you put it in the pan, roll them in flour. During frying, when combined with the juice, it will cover the surface of the eggplants with thin shell, which will not allow the juice to come out, and the oil - to penetrate strongly inside. Therefore, eggplant slices outside will be covered with a golden crust, and inside they will remain juicy and not very fat.
- Instead of flour, you can use batter, which is usually dipped pieces of fish or meat before being sent to the pan.
How to fry eggplants correctly
If you use young non-bitter eggplants, they do not need to be kept in salt or salt water.
Sprinkle salt and pepper to taste before frying, roll in flour and immediately send to the pan.
Spread the prepared eggplants only in a well heated pan with a sufficient amount of oil. If you pour in a little butter, then the eggplants, which are highly absorbing fat, will resemble baked ones.
Once in the pan, eggplants immediately begin to release fluid. Therefore, the fire should be strong enough that the moisture did not have time to cool the oil. Otherwise, eggplant will not fry, and stew.
For the same reason, when frying eggplants, the pan is not covered with a lid.
When the underside of the slices is fried, use a spatula to turn them over to the other side and bring them to readiness.
If there is a lot of eggplant, fry them in several approaches. Then put the finished eggplants in a single layer on a baking sheet and heat in the oven.
Usually fried eggplants are very fat. Therefore, removing them from the pan, put them on a paper towel, and it will absorb excess oil. Although some gourmets are asking to miss this moment. As they say, tastes do not argue.
If eggplants are served with other vegetables, then fry them separately and then mix.
And now - a few recipes using fried eggplant.
Eggplant fried: the classic version
Ingredients:
- eggplants - 2 pcs .;
- refined sunflower oil - 50 g;
- flour - 30 g;
- salt and pepper to taste.
Method of preparation
- In young eggplants, cut the stem, do not cut the skin. Adult fruit cleanse from the skin. Cut into circles.
- Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste, roll in flour.
- Pour oil into the pan, heat well. Fry the eggplants on both sides over moderate heat until golden brown.
- Remove excess fat by putting mugs on a paper towel. Serve the eggplants as a separate dish.
Fried eggplants (with onions)
Ingredients:
- eggplants - 2 pcs .;
- onions - 2 pcs .;
- refined sunflower oil - 50 g;
- salt and black pepper - to taste;
- flour - 1 tbsp. l
Method of preparation
- Cut the prepared eggplants into slices.
- Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roll in flour.
- Fry over moderate heat on both sides until golden brown.
- Put the mugs on a plate.
- In the remaining oil, fry finely chopped onion to a ruddy condition.
- Cover them with eggplants.
Fried eggplants (with tomatoes)
Ingredients:
- eggplants - 2 pcs .;
- tomatoes - 4 pcs .;
- refined sunflower oil - 70 g;
- flour - 2-3 tbsp. l .;
- salt and black pepper;
- sour cream - 4 tbsp. l .;
- garlic - 2 cloves (optional);
- parsley or dill.
Method of preparation
- Prepared eggplants cut into circles. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, roll in flour. Fry on both sides until brown crust. Put on a dish in one layer.
- Take tomatoes of the same diameter as eggplants. Cut into circles. Salt it. Put on a strainer to make the juice stack. Roll in flour, fry in the remaining oil on both sides until cooked. Put one cup on each slice of eggplant.
- Decorate eggplants with tomatoes with sour cream. For more piquancy sour cream can be mixed with mashed garlic. Sprinkle with chopped greens. Serve cold or warm.
Fried eggplants (with tomatoes and garlic)
Ingredients:
- eggplants - 2 pcs .;
- tomatoes - 4 pcs .;
- garlic - 3 cloves;
- young parsley - a few twigs;
- refined sunflower oil - 100 g;
- salt - to taste;
- flour - 1-2 tbsp. l
Method of preparation
- Wash eggplants, cut the stalks, peel off the skin. Cut into circles. Lightly salt each slice and leave for half an hour.
- Blot with a paper towel, roll in flour. Put in a single layer in a hot frying pan and fry on both sides until golden brown. Put on a dish.
- Wash tomatoes, cut into cubes. Put in the pan with the remaining butter, add chopped garlic, mix. Stew until complete evaporation of the juice.
- Cover the stewed tomatoes with eggplant mugs, sprinkle with chopped parsley.
Fried eggplants (with fresh mushrooms and onions)
Ingredients:
- eggplants - 2 pcs .;
- tomatoes - 2 pcs .;
- fresh mushrooms (champignons) - 100 g;
- onions - 2 pcs .;
- flour - 2 tbsp. l .;
- refined sunflower oil - 100 g;
- salt and black pepper;
- sour cream - 3 tbsp. l .;
- Dill or parsley.
Method of preparation
Fry all vegetables and mushrooms separately.
- Prepared eggplants cut into circles, salt and pepper, roll in flour. Fry in oil on both sides until golden brown.
- Cut the tomatoes into circles, add salt. When the juice is drained, roll in flour, fry on both sides until cooked.
- Onion cut into rings, fry in butter until golden brown.
- Clean the mushrooms, scald with boiling water, cut into strips. Put in the pan. Cook for 20 minutes while stirring. Salt it. Put sour cream, mix, bring to a boil, but do not boil.
- Put eggplants on a wide dish, put tomatoes on them. Cover with onions and mushrooms. Decorate with chopped greens.
Mistress to note
For a better taste of eggplants, cooked according to any of these recipes, put on a baking sheet, sprinkle with chopped cheese on a grater. Put in preheated to 200-220 ° oven and bake until cheese melts.
If you want to cook eggplants in batter, mix 2 eggs, 100 ml of milk, 4-5 tablespoons. l flour, salt. The dough should turn out like pancakes. Dip each circle in batter, put in the pan with butter and fry on both sides until golden brown.
