Chef Veena ARORA finds worth in the humble vegetable and suggests ways to get the cooking right. By Uma Nair
What’s plump and round and aubergineIJ Well, yes, an aubergine, of course. In India, the dish has as many variations as there are regions as its use cuts across caste creed and religious boundaries. Bengal, UP, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Kerala.
Chef Veena Arora, Spice Route, Imperial Hotel spent an afternoon reminiscing the use of eggplants in both Thai and native Indian cuisine one summer afternoon. “Because summer is hot and uncomfortable you want to work with vegetables that do not require long periods of cooking. You want to cook something that is quick and non fussy, easy to follow and simple but high on flavor,” she said.
She chose two recipes for cuisine lovers. The first is a Katrika Kalai Curry, a tangy and spicy eggplant recipe from Tamil Nadu that can be relished with both rice and rotis.
“Eggplant has been misunderstood as a vegetable but it has an important place in gastronomy benefits. You can have an eggplant laced ratatouille made in the romantic city of Paris or the eggplant parmesan made in the beautiful cliffside of Sicily or even enjoy the many Thai and Japanese dishes with eggplant. The Thai Basil eggplant and the Stir Fried Eggplant are two very popular dishes in Asian cuisine,” she added.
To go down to nutritional facts eggplant is rich in calcium, iron, magnesium and several other important nutrients that aid proper functioning of our body.
In fact, one cup (or 82 gms) of eggplant consists of 11 per cent fibre, 10 per cent manganese, 5.4 per cent molybdenum, 5.3 per cent potassium, 4.5 per cent folate, 3.5 per cent vitamin K, 3.5 per cent copper, 63.5 per cent vitamin B, 3.1 per centtryptophan, 3 per cent vitamin C and 2.8 per cent magnesium. Tests now state that eggplant is beneficial for hair as well as skin.
“The key to eggplant recipes are speed and the wok you use,” stated the chef. For best results, be sure to use firm, unblemished, pale purple Chinese/Indian eggplants. For Thai dishes, we use the big round Mediterranean ones, for Indian dishes, because we want to balance the texture, we use small. While in Thai and Chinese cuisine we adjust the balance of sweet, spicy and salty elements to our liking in Indian cuisine we add spice and sour notes too so it depends on what we want to make.”
Chef Veena mentioned that at Spice Route, Makhua Phad Kai, a stir fried chicken with Eggplant dish is a favourite. These are made from pale soft eggplants that have ben stir fried to cotton soft consistency and they blend with the chicken strips that have a subtle flavour.
Eggplants must look good to eat which depends on how long you cook and the process you use. Quick cooking retains its juices and its plump looks as you don’t want it to look dehydrated and limp. Whether we make the Indian or the Asian dish, each piece of eggplant is important for both texture and shape.
When you serve the dish, it must seem dark, shiny, plump and soft, with wonderful complex flavors coming through which could be hot and sour, perhaps salty and sweet.
For stir fry eggplants, the Chef said we have to pay attention to the process. “We must add the eggplant wedges and stir with a spatula in flipping and gentle pressing motions for two-five minutes to expose them to the oil. We must turn heat down to medium high and continue to turn and press lightly for four-seven more minutes, until the wedges are slightly browned and flattened. Don’t press them hard or they might break and become messy. Then you have to turn the heat back up to high. If you are adding sauces or seasonings, give the seasonings/sauces a stir and pour over the eggplant. Stir in scooping and lifting motions for about 30 seconds. If it is cornstarch, then give the cornstarch mixture a stir and add to the sauce. Cook to desired doneness and serve at once. Timing is the most vital ingredient when you cook eggplant.”