Pan-fried Eggplant

Serves 2

Let’s talk about the humble eggplant - this antioxidant rich vegetable is available cheaply and conveniently all over Singapore. I am its biggest fan and use it in salads, dips, curries, lasagna, ratatouille, pasta and rice dishes. Here are a few tips on how to buy it right.

Tips: Although these days eggplants are available all year around, July, August and September are their prime time. When buying, choose eggplants with smooth, shiny skin, heavy for their size, and ones with no blemishes, tan patches, or bruises. Wrinkled, loose skin is an indication of age, and the fruit will be more bitter. Smaller eggplants have fewer seeds, thinner skin, and tend to be sweeter, tender and less bitter. Here is a quick and easy recipe below,

Ingredients

375g or 1 large eggplant

3/4 teaspoon sea-salt

3-4 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon coriander powder

3/4 teaspoon mango powder

1/4 teaspoon turmeric

1/4 teaspoon chili powder, or to taste

Recipe

1Halve eggplant lengthways, cut into 3-inch pieces. Using the tip of pairing knife, slit eggplant creating a criss-cross pattern on the flesh. Sprinkle salt all over, set aside for 15 minutes and let it sweat. Dry the eggplant using a paper towel.

2On medium flame, heat olive oil in a large cast-iron pan. Add eggplant flesh side down and cook for 3-4 minutes until brown, flip and cook skin side down for 2 minutes. Reduce heat to low-medium. Continue to cook, flipping every 1-2 minutes until the flesh is soft and no longer white. Place on a serving platter skin side down.

3Mix the spices together in a small bowl and sprinkle all over hot eggplant. Serve immediately.

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