Eggplant “Unagi”: Easy Recipe! - The Woks of Life (2024)

FAQs

How do you cook eggplant without changing color? ›

Soaking the eggplants in water will help them absorb less oil later on. Soak the eggplants in a vinegar water solution for 5-10 minutes also helps preserve the beautiful purple eggplant color after they are cooked.

Difference between White & Purple Eggplants

Flesh: white eggplants have white creamy color flesh whereas the flesh of purples ones have a greenish hue. Taste: in terms of taste, white eggplants are less bitter, creamier and denser. Their flavor is a bit more delicate and these differences are quite subtle.

Chinese Eggplant: Chinese Eggplant is also called Asian Eggplant. If you cannot find Chinese Eggplant, you can substitute with regular Eggplant. Light Soy Sauce: this is your “light” or “all-purpose” soy sauce.

You also won't find eggplant's stereotypical bitterness here thanks to their smaller seeds, and the skin is thinner than the large purple varieties. If you're following a recipe that calls for peeling the skin or salting the flesh to pull out the bitterness, you can go ahead and skip those steps.

While you're cooking — After chopping or peeling your eggplant, cover it in lemon juice or store it in a mixture of cool water and lemon juice to prevent enzymatic browning.

Red and purple mixed together create a complex tertiary color that can be used with white or brown to create an eggplant hue.

Aside from its green top, the entire eggplant is edible: its purple skin, its white flesh, and the tiny seeds inside. Eggplant contains protein, fiber, and a wide range of vitamins and minerals as well as some antioxidants. Eggplant should be cooked before eating.

Unlike most other kinds, Chinese eggplants are nearly seedless, which makes them slightly sweet and less bitter. They're most commonly baked or featured in a stir-fry because they're tender and cook quickly.

Japanese Eggplant

Although named Japanese (or Chinese) eggplant, these longer and thinner eggplants aren't restricted to Japan or Japanese cuisine. Their slim shape makes them particularly good for cutting on the bias (a.k.a. "roll cutting") and stir-frying in big chunks.

The best eggplant is caramelized and crispy on the outside and melt-in-your-mouth tender on the inside. This is achieved by giving the cubes or slices enough room to brown while they cook. If you overcrowd them in the pan or baking sheet, they'll steam instead of brown and you'll never get that caramelization.

What is the difference between fairy tale eggplant and regular eggplant? ›

Fairy tale offers a delicious, delicate flavor and delightfully creamy bite. Compared to a large purple Italian eggplant, fairy tell eggplants have a softer more tender skin. Plus, this palm-sized eggplant is a breeze to prep for sautés, stir-fries, grilled dishes and more.

You mentioned that once they turned out tough and chewy: then they were not cooked fully through. Vegetables are not like meat, which turn rubbery when overcooked. They turn soft rather. Watch out for the opposite as well: Eggplants when cooked for a long time may turn mushy.

Eggplants do not store well for long periods of time. Without refrigeration, eggplants can be stored in a cool, dry place for 1 or 2 days. If you don't intend to eat the eggplant within 2 days, it should be refrigerated.

When you cut into an eggplant, the flesh should be mostly white. A few brown spots are fine, but if the eggplant is mostly brown—and slimy with an odor—it's likely gone bad.

Older recipes call for salting eggplant to draw out the bitter juices, but today's eggplants are less bitter (unless very large), so salting is largely unnecessary. It will, however, help the spongy flesh absorb less oil and crisp up like a dream.

I tend to soak the slices in a bowl of water with a couple of tablespoon of salt for about 30-45 minutes. It doesn't have to do with bitterness, but I find that in doing this, the fried eggplant turns out less greasy," Jenkins says.

Eggplant is susceptible to enzymatic browning, when fruits and veggies begin to brown after being exposed to oxygen (think: an apple or avocado that turns brown). If you cut the eggplant and notice browning shortly afterward, the eggplant is safe to eat.