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

FAQs

What is the trick to cooking eggplant? ›

Slice your eggplant with the skin on (this will help it keep its shape). Brush it lightly with oil. Grill over a hot flame until the flesh is tender and you have beautiful char marks, about 5 minutes per side.

What's the difference between eggplant and Chinese eggplant? Chinese eggplants have fewer seeds than globes, which reduces their bitterness. And they have a thin skin. While they can be substituted for each other, globes may be less sweet, influencing the outcome of the final dish.

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.

It helps draw out moisture from the eggplant. You don't have to salt eggplant though, it depends on the texture your looking for. Salting gives it a more creamy texture when cooked and not salting helps the eggplant hold up and be a little firmer after cooked.

Many recipes call for eggplants to be salted and rinsed to draw out any bitter juices, but this shouldn't be necessary if they're fresh. If the seeds are too defined or feel hard, the eggplant may be old and should be salted.

While the skin of a small young eggplant is edible, the skin becomes bitter on larger or older eggplants and should be peeled. When in doubt, the answer to, "Do you peel eggplant before cooking?" is yes, peel it. Use a vegetable peeler or paring knife to remove the skin.

Chinese and Japanese eggplant are similar to each other in size and shape, which is to say that they are long and slender. The difference is that Chinese are lighter purple, and Japanese are a dark purple like the American eggplant.

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.

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.

Chinese Eggplant

It has a lighter, almost pastel exterior, with a white flesh and sweeter taste that fits its appearance. The Chinese variety contains fewer seeds than globe eggplants, and are therefore less bitter.

Why is my white eggplant turning yellow? ›

Why is my eggplant going yellow? JERRY: As eggplant mature they do tend to go yellow and this means they've past their best in terms of taste. One variety from India called 'Udumalpet' produces fruit that are naturally yellow when ripe. But don't throw away over-ripe fruit.

One of the most popular was the long, thin, purple eggplant from Taiwan known as Ping Tung. This is an exceptional eggplant with sweet, pleasant tasting flesh. The plants are incredibly prolific and produce throughout the entire season. They are more disease resistant than other eggplants.

Brining adds flavor and texture to eggplants. "Mix spices and salt with water, then soak sliced eggplant in the brine for 30 minutes before cooking.

Typically eggplant behaves like a sponge, soaking up heroic amounts of oil when fried. The Terzo Piano chefs use this trick to prevent heavy aubergines: Before frying, soak the strips of eggplant in an ice water bath. They will absorb water and drop in temperature.