Brinjals by the bucketload - recipes

Asian style brinjals Antoine de Ras, 20/02/2012

Asian style brinjals Antoine de Ras, 20/02/2012

Published Mar 1, 2012

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Wonderfully meaty, brinjals are at the peak of their season. Uses them to cook up delectable dishes.

TO SALT OR NOT TO SALT

Larger, older brinjals have brown seeds that contain a bitter liquid. Some people say that sprinkling salt on brinjal slices draws out this liquid, others say it makes no difference.

I tried salting some and leaving others unsalted. When cooked, I found no difference in the taste.

I did find that salted brinjals absorbed a lot more oil when fried. That is because salting draws out the liquid in the flesh, making it more porous.

If your brinjals are young and fresh, they should not be bitter. The older they are, the more likely they are to need salting.

If you decide to salt your brinjals, dice or slice them, place in a non-corrosive colander and sprinkle with salt. Leave to stand for at least an hour and then press the brinjals to release as much of the bitter liquid as possible.

Rinse under running water and then dry well with paper towel. Use as directed.

To prevent brinjals from absorbing too much oil when fried, brush the slices with olive oil before cooking on a hot griddle pan, rather than pouring oil into the pan.

BRINJAL AND SWEET POTATO STACK

Serves 4

3-4 sweet potatoes, peeled and diced

30ml olive oil

15ml Moroccan spice rub

salt and pepper

125g feta cheese

45ml chopped mint

1-2 brinjals, cut into thin slices. (You need 12 slices)

flour for dusting

olive oil for frying

Sauce

125ml Greek yoghurt

15ml honey

15ml pomegranate molasses

Put the sweet potatoes into a roasting pan and drizzle over the olive oil. Sprinkle with spice rub and seasoning and roast at 180°C for 20-30 minutes until soft.

Remove from oven and stir in the feta and mint.

While the potatoes are roasting, dust the brinjal slices with flour and fry in olive oil until light golden on both sides. Drain on a paper towel.

Prepare the sauce.

SAUCE: Combine all the ingredients and mix well.

TO ASSEMBLE: On a baking tray lined with non-stick baking paper, place a brinjal slice, top with a spoonful of the sweet potato mixture, then another brinjal slice, more sweet potato and end with a slice of brinjal.

Bake in the oven at 200°C for 5 minutes.

Serve topped with a dollop of sauce.

BRINJAL, WALNUT AND GOAT’S CHEESE SALAD

Serves 4

40-50ml olive oil

1-2 brinjals, peeled and cubed

1-2 tomatoes, seeded and diced

1 small red onion, finely diced

50g walnuts, lightly toasted

60ml pomegranate rubies

100g goat’s cheese, crumbled

30ml toasted sesame seeds

45ml coriander leaves

45ml parsley leaves

Dressing

60ml olive oil

1 clove of garlic, crushed

30ml lemon juice

salt and pepper

Heat the olive oil in a frying pan and fry the brinjals over a medium heat until light golden brown. Drain on a paper towel.

Combine the brinjals with the remaining ingredients and toss to combine.

Spoon on to a serving plate and drizzle over the dressing just before serving.

MOUSSAKA

Serves 4

1-2 brinjals, sliced

30-40ml olive oil

Mince

30ml olive oil

1 red onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, crushed

500g lamb mince

7.5ml cumin

5ml cinnamon

400g can of chopped tomatoes

30ml tomato paste

125ml chicken stock

10ml sugar

salt and pepper

30ml chopped fresh basil

Sauce

50g butter

50ml flour

500ml milk

salt and pepper

1 egg, beaten

60ml grated Parmesan cheese

Brush brinjals with oil and fry until soft. Drain on a paper towel. Set aside until required.

Heat olive oil and fry the onion and garlic. Add the mince, cumin and cinnamon and cook until browned. Add tomatoes, tomato paste and stock.

Simmer for 30 minutes until liquid has reduced and meat is cooked. Season with sugar, salt and pepper and stir in the chopped herbs.

PREPARE SAUCE: Melt butter, stir in the flour and cook for 2 minutes. Add milk, stirring continuously, until mixture boils and thickens. Remove from heat and season well.

Stir in the beaten egg.

In an ovenproof baking dish, place a layer of brinjals and top with a layer of mince. Repeat, ending with a layer of brinjals.

Spoon the sauce over the brinjals and sprinkle with cheese. Bake at 180°C for 30 minutes until golden brown. Remove and stand for about 10 minutes before serving.

BRINJAL SANDWICHES

Serves 4

1-2 brinjals, cut into 2mm-thick slices (You need 16 slices)

8 slices of provolone cheese cut to the same size as the brinjal slices

mint leaves

8 slices of salami, cut to the same size as the brinjal slices

125ml seasoned flour

2 eggs, beaten

500ml fresh white breadcrumbs

30-40ml olive oil

40-50g butter

Tahini sauce

60ml Greek yoghurt

15ml tahini sauce

15ml honey

15ml lemon juice

15ml chopped mint

Lay half the brinjal slices on a tray. Top with a slice of cheese. Add a mint leaf and then a slice of salami. Top with remaining brinjal slices to form a sandwich. Dip them in flour, then egg and breadcrumbs.

Heat the olive oil and butter in a large frying pan and fry the brinjal sandwiches until golden brown on both sides.

Drain on paper towel and serve immediately with the sauce.

Tahini sauce: Combine all the ingredients and mix well.

ASIAN-STYLE BRINJALS

Serves 4

45ml peanut oil

1 onion, sliced into thin wedges

2 garlic cloves, crushed

1 brinjal, cut into 2cm cubes

1 red pepper, roughly chopped

200g mixed mushrooms, sliced

coriander for serving

Sauce

30ml sherry

30ml oyster sauce

15ml hoisin sauce

15ml soy sauce

30ml tomato sauce

15ml sesame oil

Heat some oil in a frying pan and fry the onion and garlic for a minute.

Add the brinjals and cook for 2-3 minutes.

Add the peppers and mushrooms and stir fry until soft.

Pour over the sauce and simmer for 2-3 minutes.

Sprinkle with coriander and serve with noodles.

SAUCE: Combine all the ingredients and mix well. - The Star

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