Eggplant is one of the versatile fruits that can be fried, baked, stuffed, and even grilled. Yes, you have heard it right. It is a fruit, not a vegetable, you must know this. There are tons of eggplant recipes you can try and enjoy completely different flavors every time you cook this purple fruit.
Many of you may not like to eat eggplant. But, do you know that eggplant can be prepared in various ways that you will definitely love to try? It can be used as a substitute for meat in various vegetarian recipes. Moreover, you can also make them with cheese as one of the main ingredients, thus a great dish for cheese lovers.
Healthy and Delectable Eggplant Recipes!
The variants of eggplant give you a number of ways to get something unique and delicious at your lunch or dinner. You might have tried eggplant parmesan and even your kids might have also appreciated this recipe, but you can also surprise them with other eggplant dishes as well.
No doubt there are a number of easy-to-make eggplant recipes, but it is not possible to include all of them here. So, we have chosen some of the easiest and flavorful eggplant recipes, everyone around your dining table will surely love them. You will surely be asked to make them again.
- Parm Eggplant Chips
- Armenian Stuffed Eggplant
- Eggplant Rolls
- Parmesan and Eggplant
Parm Eggplant Chips
Have you ever tried eggplant chips? If not, then don’t miss trying this recipe. The thin slices of eggplant when baked in the oven with some spices and parmesan over them are something that you have never tasted before. Even kids will love to have these eggplant chips as their favorite snack.
Quick Stats:
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 45 minutes
Servings: 4
Ingredients:
- 1 medium eggplant
- Kosher salt as per the taste
- 2 tablespoons of olive oil
- One-fourth of cups of grated parmesan
- 1 teaspoon of Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon of garlic powder
- Black pepper powder as per the taste
- Marinara, for dipping
Method to Prepare:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F
- Take the eggplant and cut it into very thin round slices.
- Now, place the sliced eggplant on paper towels and season all slices with salt and allow them to rest for 10-12 minutes.
- After this, wipe away the moisture on the slices with the paper towel and flip the slices. Again, sprinkle some salt on all slices and let them sit for another 10-12 minutes. Repeat the dry process as you did for another side.
- Take a large bowl and transfer these eggplant slices to it. Add oil on the slices and toss them so that it gets coated evenly on all slices.
- Now, you have to add grated parmesan, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, and black pepper powder. Again, toss the slices well until all these ingredients get coated evenly on all slices.
- Take a large baking plant and keep all slices in an even layer. Make sure that they should not be overlapped.
- Now, bake the slices until they turn golden brown or for nearly 15-16 minutes.
- Let’s cool them properly and you can serve these crispy chips with marinara.
Armenian Stuffed Eggplant
This is one of the best eggplant recipes that can be served as a vegetarian side dish. Even if you have a picky eater at home, he/she will also love to try it once. It can be served with hummus, salad, or with a whole wheat pita as the full meal for lunch or dinner.
Quick Stats:
Prep time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 45 minutes
Servings: 4
Ingredients:
- 2 large eggplants
- 1 red bell pepper and cut it into strips
- 1 sliced onion
- 2-3 minced garlic cloves
- 2 chopped tomatoes
- 1 can of tomato sauce
- 1-2 pinches of salt
- One-fourth cup of olive oil
- 1-2 pinches of ground black pepper
- 1-2 pinches of chopped parsley
Method to Prepare:
- Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
- Cut these 2 eggplants into half, then cut these halves into thirds, thus at the end, you will get 12 pieces.
- Take a baking sheet and place these eggplants pieces on it and brush all of them with some olive oil.
- Now, you have to roast eggplant into the preheated oven for around 15-18 minutes or until they tender. After this, reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F.
- In the meanwhile, take a large pan and heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in it over medium heat.
- Then, add red bell pepper, onion, and minced garlic cloves to the pan and cook these ingredients until onions are tender or for around 5-6 minutes. Now, add chopped tomatoes and cook them for 2-3 minutes. After this, keep the pan aside to let the ingredients cool.
- Now, take out the eggplant pieces from the oven and let them cool for 6-8 minutes.
- Take a baking dish and transfer these pieces to it carefully so that they do not cut through skin and also don’t overlap.
- Fill all pieces with 2-3 tablespoons with tomato and onion filling and then pour tomato sauce over them. Also, don’t forget to season them with salt and black pepper.
- Bake them in the preheated oven for around 30 minutes. Now, garnish them with parsley and serve warm.
Eggplant Rolls
If you are looking for something low-carb to enjoy anytime you want, then you can go preparing eggplant rolls filled with mozzarella cheese. What makes it more flavorful is serving these rolls with bell pepper sauce or any of your favorite sauces. It can be your perfect starter for a veg dinner party.
Quick Stats:
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 30 minutes
Servings: 4
Ingredients:
- 4 tablespoons of olive oil
- Half minced onion
- 2 chopped red bell peppers
- Half cup of vegetable broth
- A few pinches of salt and ground black pepper, or as per the taste
- 1 package of mozzarella cheese
- 2 eggplants and sliced them into lengthwise strips
- 2 finely chopped red tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon of chopped fresh basil
Method to Prepare:
- Take a skillet and heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Then, add onions and cook for 3-5 minutes or until they turn brown. After this, add red bell pepper and cook for another 5 minutes on low heat.
- Then, add vegetable broth and cook it for 10-12 minutes.
- In the meanwhile, take another large skillet and heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Cook the eggplant slices from both sides; make sure they should not be too tender that they break apart.
- Now, pulse the mixture of red bell pepper and onion in a food processor until you get a smooth paste. Add salt and ground black pepper and keep this paste aside.
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- Take a bowl and add mozzarella cheese, chopped tomatoes, and chopped fresh basil in it. Add some salt and black pepper in it and mix everything well.
- Take a sheet of parchment paper and place eggplant slices on it. Add a small portion of the cheese mixture and pour it on one end of the eggplant slice and roll it. Repeat the same with other slices and place them all in a casserole dish.
- Bake the eggplant rolls in the preheated oven for around 8-10 minutes or until the cheese melts.
- Serve these eggplant rolls with red bell pepper sauce.
Parmesan and Eggplant
Do you want something cheesy with an eggplant recipe? Then, this eggplant parmesan recipe is just a perfect baked recipe to try. This is not only a great version of enjoying eggplant with cheese but also has all the delicious and comforting flavors of this wonderful dish.
Quick Stats:
Prep time: 25 minutes
Cooking time: 35 minutes
Servings: 8-10
Ingredients:
- 3 eggplants, peeled and thinly sliced
- 2 large eggs
- 4 cups of Italian seasoned bread crumbs
- 6 cups of spaghetti sauce
- 1 package of mozzarella cheese
- Half cup of parmesan cheese
- Half teaspoon of dried basil
Method to Prepare:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Take a bowl and beat eggs in it. Then, dip the eggplant slices in the beaten eggs and then dip them in the bread crumbs one by one.
- Take a baking sheet and arrange a single layer of slices and bake them in the preheated oven from both sides for around 4-5 minutes on one side.
- Take a baking dish and spread spaghetti sauce on the bottom of the dish. Then, place eggplant slices making a layer over the sauce. Put some mozzarella and parmesan cheese over the slices. Again add some sauce over the cheese, then eggplant slices and cheese. End the layers with the cheese layer at the top and sprinkle some dried basil in the last.
- Bake it in the oven for 35 minutes or until it turns golden brown.
Must Read: Eggplant Casserole Recipe – A Delicious Veggie Recipe!
Final Words
Once you start trying these eggplant recipes, you will not find anything tricky; instead, you will love to prepare eggplant in some different ways. Whether you are preparing an eggplant recipe for lunch or dinner or as a side dish for a party, everyone will love it. Also, this is going to be your favorite recipe. So, try and enjoy it!
