AUBERGINE (Eggplant)

Benefit

• Low in kilojoules (if baked)

Drawback

• Large amounts of fat may be absorbed during preparation and cooking.

The glossy purple aubergine or brinjal, is a familiar component of Indian curries, Greek moussaka’s and French ratatouille. The raw vegetable contains 63 kilojoules per 100g (3½oz), but its kilojoule value rises steeply when it is fried: the same portion cooked in oil contains more than 1255 kilojoules because of the exceptionally large amounts of fat absorbed.

The tastiest aubergines are young and firm — about 5-8cm (2-3m) in diameter, with a shiny smooth skin and a fresh green stem and cap. Larger, older specimens can sometimes be woody and bitter.

Although young, sweet aubergines may not require it, some recipes call for salting the aubergine before cooking to draw out the bitter juices and reduce the moisture. This makes the flesh more dense so that less fat is absorbed during cooking.

When preparing aubergines, slice or cube them with a stainless-steel knife (carbon steel will blacken the flesh) and then sprinkle with salt. Leave for 30 minutes to draw out the juices. Carefully rinse off all the salt, squeeze or pat dry the slices with kitchen paper and cook as soon as possible before the flesh discolours.

Uncharted Powers?

The aubergine was both prized and feared when it was introduced to Spain by Arab traders during the Middle Ages. For centuries it was valued only as an exotic ornament in Europe because eating it was thought to provoke bad breath, madness, leprosy and even cancer.

In African folk medicine, however, the aubergine has long been used to treat epilepsy and convulsions. In South-east Asia it is still used to treat measles and stomach cancer, although there is no scientific evidence that supports its use as a cancer treatment.

Eastern Promise - Long and pear-shaped, oval or round, glossy purple aubergines are widely used in Asian, Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cuisine’s

Oriental Origins:
The aubergine is native to India, but was also a common food in China as long ago as 600 BC, when it was called the Malayan purple melon. Chinese ladies of the time used it as a beauty aid, staining their teeth black with a dye made from its skin. The first varieties that English-speakers came across probably bore egg-shaped fruits — hence its other name of eggplant.

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2. Vegetables
3. Herbs & Spices
4. Vitamins & Minerals