I Heart Aubergine

Aubergine aka brinjal / eggplant is one my favourite vegetables. It can be cooked in curries, stuffed with fish paste, and is one of the ingredients used in making Ratatouille. There are many types of cooking methods, like sauteing, grilling, baking, frying, and even barbecuing. It can be prepared by itself or in combination with other vegetables.

"The raw vegetable contains only 24kcal per 100 gms. It is a low calorie vegetable but its caloric value rises steeply when it is fried. It provides small amounts of calcium, phosphorous, fibre, folic acid, sodium and vitamin C. It has good amounts of potassium. 100 gms of edible portion provides 200 mgs of potassium. It is high in water content and has about 92 % of moisture. Due to its low calorie content and high potassium content, it is suitable for diabetes, hypertensive and obese patients. In Africa the aubergine is used as medicine to treat epilepsy and convulsions.

There are different varieties available but varies in colour and shape. The most commonly seen are with dark purple skin. The other popular variety is in light green colour. The shape varies from oval, pear, round to finger shape. They are slightly longer and are tastier when young and firm. Some varieties are bitter so they need salting before cooking to draw out the bitter juices and reduce the moisture. This makes the flesh denser so that less fat is absorbed during cooking.

To prevent discoloration of the flesh while preparing brinjal, make slice or cube with stainless steel knife and sprinkle with salt if not cooked immediately. Brinjal is considered to be having medicinal properties even though non of these properties have any scientific base. In few countries in Africa the brinjal is as medicine to treat epilepsy and convulsions. In South East Asia it is still used to treat stomach cancer and measles."

The above info is an excerpt from Link . Never knew that aubergine has such great nutritional value.

Aubergine aka brinjal / eggplant - the common type

Aubergine with Chilli and Lime juice

Looks yummyz and taste wonderful too. It will whet your appetite.

Steamed the aubergine in hot boiling water for 25 mins. Take it out and removed the skin. Cut into strips as shown in the picture above. Sliced some shallots and sauteed till light brown in 3 tblsp of hot oil. Dish it up and put aside. While the oil is still hot, pour in 1.5 tablsp of light soy sauce and mixed it well. Take out and poured onto the cut aubergine and mixed well. Add in cut red chilli and squeezed some lime juice over it. Mixed throughly and served either chilled or hot.

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Note to Piggies in NJ

*** Praise The Lord , that you both have landed safely in NJ this morning . Enjoy yourselves and don't forget my pressies. Piggy Gal reminds you of the book sales in NJ.