Eggplant — season, tips, and recipes in Australia
Eggplant is a vegetables available in Queensland during December, January, February, March, peaking in January, February. This page is a practical guide for home cooks: when to buy eggplant, how to pick a good one, how to store it, what it goes well with, three original recipes, and detailed nutrition information.
Salting and draining is largely unnecessary with modern varieties. Just slice and cook.
How to pick a good one
Heavy, taut shiny skin. Press: slight bounce-back = fresh. Dull wrinkled = old.
How to store it
Room temp for a day or two, fridge up to a week.
Goes well with
miso: Miso's intense savoury umami is absorbed by eggplant's spongy flesh, which acts as a vehicle for the paste in the same way it absorbs oil. Nasu dengaku (miso eggplant) is one of the better Japanese preparations.
tahini: The combination is the basis of baba ghanoush. Tahini's richness and eggplant's smoky flesh create a combination that's more substantial than the ingredients suggest.
tomato: Eggplant and tomato is a Mediterranean pairing used in moussaka, caponata, parmigiana, and ratatouille across multiple cultures. The acidity of tomato cuts eggplant's richness; eggplant's flesh absorbs tomato's flavour and glutamates.
garlic: Eggplant's mild, slightly bitter flesh absorbs garlic's savoury intensity readily. Most good eggplant dishes have garlic as a structural ingredient.
cumin: Cumin's earthy warmth adds depth to eggplant's mild flavour. Used together in Middle Eastern and Indian cooking.
Recipes
Baba Ganoush
Smoky, creamy, better than hummus.
Ingredients: 2 eggplants, 2 tbsp tahini, 1 clove garlic, 2 tbsp lemon juice, 1 tbsp olive oil, salt, parsley
Method: Char whole eggplants directly on gas flame or under grill until collapsed and smoky (15 min). Cool. Scoop flesh. Mix with tahini, garlic, lemon, oil. Season. Garnish with parsley.
Miso Eggplant
Caramelised, umami, spectacular.
Ingredients: 2 eggplants, 2 tbsp miso paste, 1 tbsp mirin, 1 tbsp sugar, 1 tbsp sesame oil, sesame seeds, spring onion
Method: Halve eggplants. Score flesh in crosshatch. Mix miso, mirin, sugar, sesame oil. Spread over cut sides. Roast 200C for 25 min. Top with sesame seeds and sliced spring onion.
Eggplant Parmigiana
Layers of comfort.
Ingredients: 2 eggplants, 500ml tomato sauce, 200g mozzarella, 50g parmesan, handful basil, olive oil
Method: Slice eggplant 1cm thick. Brush with oil. Grill or fry until golden. Layer in dish: sauce, eggplant, mozzarella, basil. Repeat. Top with parmesan. Bake 180C for 25 min.
Nutrition
One cup provides 10% of your daily fibre, 5% of your potassium, and small amounts of most B vitamins. The real value is nasunin, an anthocyanin in the purple skin that's one of the most potent free-radical scavengers found in plant foods. It specifically protects the fats in brain cell membranes. About 20 calories per cup. Eat the skin.