Contributed by

Ingredients

Do you know that little purple oblong oddity is either a boy or a girl? Generally, the male eggplants have shallow indentations at the bottom, while the females have deep dash-shaped indentations. Why should it matter? Male eggplants have fewer seeds and tend to be more bitter.

But don’t fret - it is easy to remove the bitterness from your eggplant. First, try to use it up as soon as possible – the older the eggplant, the more bitter it will be. Second, to prepare eggplant for any recipe, slice the eggplant according to the recipe and lay on a cookie cooling sheet over the sink. Sprinkle the slices with salt and let sit for 30 minutes. You can add weight to the eggplant to remove additional moisture. Rinse the eggplant and squeeze to remove any excess moisture. Towel dry and it is ready to use.

Instructions

Although, truly a fruit, the eggplant is most often treated like a vegetable. It easily absorbs flavours and can be sautéed, baked, fried, stuffed, roasted, stir-fried, steamed, grilled, and made into dips. To store your eggplant, place in a paper bag in the crisper or wrap tightly in a plastic bag.

Read more recipes