Roasted Japanese Eggplant with Tahini Sauce | Recipe | Elle Republic (2024)

FAQs

Do you have to salt Japanese eggplant before cooking? ›

Salting the eggplant slices is an important step that helps draw out any excess moisture and minimizes bitterness. Sprinkle a generous amount of salt over both sides of the sliced eggplant and let it sit for approximately 15-20 minutes.

What does a Japanese Eggplant Taste Like? Japanese eggplants offer a sweeter, more tender, and more delicate taste than standard American eggplants. Because they're smaller and longer, they possess fewer seeds. This rids them of that typical vegetal bitterness that you'll find in some eggplant varieties.

Japanese eggplants have a thin skin and sponge-like texture, which quickly absorbs sauces and flavors. They also have a slightly sweeter taste which pairs well with miso, soy sauce, and ginger.

Baba ganoush is a Mediterranean eggplant dip made from roasted or grilled eggplant, tahini, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, and salt. Like hummus, it's delicious with pita or fresh veggies, but its silky texture and irresistible smoky flavor set it apart.

Salting: Salting removes excess liquid and some of the bitterness. Today's eggplants are bred for mildness, though, so it's not as important as it used to be (if you are frying eggplant, salting will ensure a creamy texture and rich flavor). This method works for eggplant slices, cubes, or planks.

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.

Because of its firm texture, which turns creamy during cooking yet holds its shape, Japanese eggplant is especially good for baking, broiling, grilling, and stir-frying. All eggplant is a good source of dietary fiber, B vitamins, and potassium. It's also rich in powerful antioxidants.

You Keep the Skin On

"For smaller varieties, like Japanese eggplant, you can slice it on a bias and sauté, roast, or deep fry," she adds.

Some studies have found that eggplants may improve heart function and reduce LDL cholesterol and triglyceride levels. Eggplants are rich in fiber and polyphenols, which both can help reduce blood sugar levels. Eggplant is high in fiber and low in calories, which means they can help promote weight loss.

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.

What is another name for Japanese eggplant? ›

The Japanese word for eggplant is “nasu,” which sounds similar to the word “to accomplish,” leading many Japanese traditionalists to believe that dreaming about eggplants will bring achievements and success in the year to come.

Look for smooth, shiny eggplants with no signs of dull skin. Dull skin means that the fruit is turning bitter and shouldn't be eaten. Make sure that there's no streaking. To test a Japanese eggplant at the grocery store, take your thumb and press it into the eggplant to form a print.

What is tahini sauce? Tahini sauce is a Middle Eastern condiment that is served with many dishes from the region. It's made with only 3 main ingredients: tahini paste, which is crushed sesame seeds, lemon juice, and garlic. Tahini is made by grinding toasted, hulled sesame seeds to create a creamy, smooth spread.

Carefully rinse each piece of eggplant under cold water, making sure you remove all the salt. Drain. Step 3: Transfer the rinsed eggplant pieces, a few at a time, to a clean work surface and pat dry with paper towel.

You don't have to peel an eggplant before cooking. It really is a choice of the cook. The skin is edible, it's just that sometimes it isn't as palatable as you might like.

The two major components of an eggplant are water and air, so it makes sense to get rid of that water when you want to get a firmer, less soggy texture. I sprinkle a generous amount of salt over sliced eggplant and let it sit in a bowl for 45 minutes.

Soak eggplant slices or cubes in milk for about 30 minutes before cooking. The milk not only tempers the bitterness, but it actually makes for eggplant that is extra creamy, since the vegetable acts like a sponge and soaks up a good amount of milk in its flesh.