Vegetables for vitality: eggplant

Like tomatoes and avocados, eggplant is a fruit that is treated like a vegetable. Eggplant is a key ingredient in Middle Eastern and Asian recipes. Read on to learn about the eggplant's nutritional benefits and how to best prepare them.

Packed into 250 millilitres (one cup) of eggplant:

• about 25 calories
• more than two grams (1/2 teaspoon) of fibre to help prevent constipation and formation of hemorrhoids
• B vitamins for energy production

Season

Available all year, but at their best in the summer months.

What to look for

From purplish-black to light violet and white, eggplants can be long and narrow or short and plump. Select fruit that is heavy for its size, with firm, glossy, unblemished skin and a healthy-looking crown. The tastiest are firm with thin skins. Larger ones are more likely to be seedy, tough and bitter.

Storing

Use eggplant within a couple of days of purchase. If you must store it, keep it in a cool place but preferably not in the refrigerator because it's likely to soften and become bitter very quickly.

Preparation

It's not necessary to peel an eggplant before cooking, unless the skin is especially thick or you simply prefer your vegetables peeled.

Basic cooking

• Eggplants soak up oil during cooking, which is one of the drawbacks from a health point of view. Some have a bitter taste, but this is easily eliminated with salt before cooking. Wipe off the salt and dry the slices before cooking. The salting not only removes bitter juices, it reduces the amount of moisture, making it less oil-absorbent. When eggplant is used as the basis of a dip, such as Middle Eastern baba ghanoush, however, it is often baked whole or boiled until the flesh is soft enough to mash, avoiding the oil issue altogether.
• To barbecue eggplant for a side dish, cut crosswise into one centimetre (1⁄2 inch) slices and brush with oil and cook, oiled side facing the heat source, until browned on both sides. Brush with oil and turn slices twice during cooking. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and chopped fresh parsley or basil before serving.

• Coat slices of small eggplants in bread crumbs. Bake in a hot oven until tender. Top with chopped basil or oregano leaves and serve as an hors d'oeuvre.
• Grilling gives eggplant a meaty, rich flavour. Halve a large eggplant lengthwise; prick skin. Place cut-side down on a barbecue or under a grill and cook until skin blisters and blackens. Place in a paper bag for a few minutes to loosen skin. Peel, then mash flesh. Drizzle with oil and season with salt and pepper.