Eggplant Recipe

Explore the mouth-watering recipes of Eggplant presented by Yousky. Enjoy!!

Eggplant is a member of the nightshade family as are tomatoes, peppers, potatoes and sweet potatoes. As such, eggplant is technically a fruit. As with tomatoes and other of nightshade veggies, there are a number of varieties of eggplant.

Graffiti eggplant, sometimes called Sicilian eggplant, gets its name from its purple and white stripes. Unfortunately, the stripes do disappear when the eggplant is cooked. This variety is completely multi-purpose — it can be used in any recipe regular eggplant is called for.

Italian Eggplant is distinct. It's slightly smaller, but still quite large and fat, and the flesh tends to be more tender. Use it in any preparation, but of course, it's wonderful used in Italian dishes like caponata.

Characterised by their long, narrow shape, both Japanese and Chinese eggplant can be hard to differentiate. Japanese eggplant tends to have a much deeper purple colour, while Chinese eggplant is usually lighter, more lavender-purple, and is sometimes even longer. Both have a nice, thin skin, don't contain many seeds, and have flesh that's extra creamy when cooked. Use either just like regular eggplant, but they're particularly great grilled or in stir-fries.

Fairy Tale Eggplant is easily the cutest one around. This heirloom variety has purple and white stripes and is no bigger than the palm of your hand. They can be prepared in the same way as larger eggplants, but take especially well to grilling since they're so tender.

White Eggplant is lots of white varieties out there, but what sets them all apart is, of course, their pure white skin. Inside, however, is the same eggplant flesh we all know and love. Prepare it just like you would any standard eggplant. Their flavour is a bit more delicate, a little less eggplant-y if the strong, bitter flavour of eggplant is a tad much for you.

Indian Eggplant called baby eggplant, this variety is small and squat with a dark reddish-purple colour. You can use it in an Indian preparation like a curry, but it's also great roasted or stuffed. They are good to slice and fry or cube and stew, or cook whole, scoop out the tender insides and make sauces, dips, or a classic raita.

Little Green Eggplant is plump and round with a pale green-coloured skin. It has a mild flavour and cooks up extra creamy. It can be used in any recipe that calls for regular eggplant.

Thai eggplant is tiny, round, and greenish-white in colour. This variety is hard to find, but if you do get your hands on it, try adding a handful to a Thai curry. They also stand up well to lots of spice and stewing, making them ideal for adding to curries.

Eggplants were first cultivated in India approximately 4000 years ago, where they were widely used in a variety of dishes, both cooked and raw. In this region, the eggplants harvested were of the recognisable dark colour and distinctive shape. As other cultures adopted eggplants into their diets new varieties were developed, including those that were white, tan, and other light shades with varying shapes.

As the cultivation of eggplants migrated east in the 4th century, Asian cultures found a variety of uses for the oddly-shaped food in a number of dishes - some of these recipes are still used today. Around 500 A.D. eggplants first appeared in the writings of China. Once they caught on, eggplants enjoyed great popularity in China. As East met West, the Moors and Turks brought back this strange new food to their own territories.

As knowledge of eggplant cultivation and use spread through southern Europe, the vegetable (technically it is a fruit in botanical terms) began to collect a rather compelling reputation as an aphrodisiac. It was often referred to as the “apple of love” which is a much more favourable distinction than it would enjoy as it made its way into northeastern Europe.