How to Make Aubergines (eggplant or Guinea squash, brinjal) in a pan?

Published on Nov 17, 2023 by

how-to-make-aubergines-eggplant-or-guinea-squash-brinjal-in-a-pan

The recipe (and variants)

Ingredients:

  • 3 aubergines
  • extra virgin olive oil to taste
  • 1 spring onion
  • salt to taste

The recipe for pan-fried aubergines is quick and easy: a vegetable side dish that will conquer all palates with its goodness!

Today we offer you an aubergine side dish that is very easy and quick to prepare, which you can actually enjoy in a thousand different ways: on bruschetta for an aperitif, as a sauce for pasta, or even – why not – to enrich a cold salad. We are talking about the recipe for pan-fried aubergines: today we will see in detail how to make this delicious side dish!

You are ready? So, fasten your aprons and let’s see together how to cook aubergines in this simple and fast way, but also very tasty!

Preparation of sautéed aubergines (also known as eggplant or Guinea squash, brinjal)

  1. After having washed the vegetables well, cut them into pieces of the shape and size you prefer (you can make cubes or even slices if you have chosen long aubergines).
  2. Place them in a colander in the center of the sink and sprinkle them with salt (distribute it by eye). Leave them there for a couple of hours or so they can drain the water.
  3. This step is not essential and you can also omit it if you want. Keep in mind, however, that cooking will take a little longer because they will lose all the water that you did not drain previously.
  4. Meanwhile, sauté the spring onion in a drizzle of oil in a non-stick pan. Alternatively, you can also use a clove of garlic or onion, depending on your taste. At this point, rinse dry and dip the aubergines into the pan. Produce abandon intermediation fervor for just about 15 minutes, stirring gently. The variants of the eggplant side dish: ideas for cooking them

Now we have seen how to prepare simple aubergines, but if you want there are many other possibilities to bring this delicious recipe to the table.

This dish lends itself to many variations based on your taste (and seasonality) as well as the ingredients that your refrigerator offers. For example, you can prepare aubergines and zucchini in a pan by replacing one of the aubergines with a zucchini. Then put all the vegetables to purge, and continue with the recipe as indicated above.

The cooking times are more or less the same, so you shouldn’t have any problems. You must, however, make small pieces all the same size, so they will cook evenly.

Another delicious variant involves the addition of tomatoes: add fresh tomatoes or the sauce in a pan and you will get an even more colorful side dish! If, on the other hand, you love Mediterranean flavors, a handful of capers, anchovies, and maybe even some breadcrumbs will suffice to best flavor your dish.

Do you want to overdo the goodness? Then try some diced aubergines in a pan: you can also fry them or simply cook them in olive oil, flavoring them with herbs and seasonings. If you pass the first in flour, then, you will reach a level of absolute lust!

Finally, for a really light dish, replace the olive oil with a couple of tablespoons of vinegar: with fewer calories, but still very tasty!

Pan-fried eggplant parmesan

Finally, here is a greedy version of this dish! We will now prepare a sort of quick parmigiana made in a pan, delicious and quick to make, ideal to serve also as a single dish.

The ingredients are very simple: eggplant, tomato, mozzarella, grated cheese, basil, and various condiments! The procedure is even simpler…

  1. Once you have cut the aubergines (and if you have time, after having purged them), cook them in a pan quickly until they are soft with oil, salt, and pepper.
  2. Made in the same pan with a sauce of tomato (use garlic or onion to taste) and when it is a bit ‘reduced’, remove it. Cut the mozzarella and let it release a little liquid, then return to the pan putting first the aubergines, then the tomato, and finally the mozzarella.
  3. Cook with the lid on, add the grated cheese and basil, the necessary seasonings… and the dish is ready!

About the Author: Gulrukh Chaudhary

Gulrukh Chaudhary, an accomplished digital marketer and technology writer with a passion for exploring the frontiers of innovation. Armed with a Master's degree in Information Technology, Gulrukh seamlessly blends her technical prowess with her creative flair, resulting in captivating insights into the world of emerging technologies. Discover more about her on her LinkedIn profile.

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