Few people know that in fact eggplant is a berry brought to us from India. The fruits have an elongated length and a blue-black color, which is why they were called "blue." The eggplant has a peculiar taste, but it is worth noting that with proper preparation, you can get amazing taste and a variety of dishes that can be prepared not only for everyday food, but also for the festive table.
This is largely due to the good compatibility of this product with meat and almost all vegetables. Stuffed eggplants, the recipes of which are huge, will look especially good on the table, and I would like to draw attention to some of them.
It is worth noting that the preparation of eggplant does not take much time, and as a result, you can get a delicate and original dish. Depending on the traditions of the cuisine, you can use a variety of ingredients.
Before proceeding with the preparation of the dish, the fruits themselves must be prepared. To do this, they are washed and dried. Eggplant is cut depending on how it is cooked. You can cut it into two halves, or you can use the whole, cutting off the top and removing the insides. Before cooking stuffed eggplants, the fruits themselves should be baked in the oven until half ready.
Among the fillings, the most common can be distinguished - from beef, tomatoes and onions. The ingredients are mixed (meat in the form of minced meat, vegetables in cubes) and begin in eggplant. Such a filling is juicy in itself, but if desired, you can add a little mayonnaise, and sprinkle with grated cheese on top. This recipe can be used as a snack, or as an independent main dish. Beef is quite successfully replaced by chicken or pork.
In winter, it is convenient to use frozen eggplant for making such an appetizer. They can be bought or prepared independently. In the latter case, washed and slightly dried fruits are cut into halves, circles or other forms, which are necessary subsequently during cooking, and are placed in a freezer in polyethylene or other convenient container.
Another original filling for cooking stuffed eggplant will be rice with vegetables. Pre-cooked rice must be combined with chopped tomatoes, carrots and herbs. The eggplant stuffed with this mixture is placed in the oven for half an hour - and the perfect appetizer for the festive table is ready. You can also additionally use ham, mushrooms and even shrimp for filling.
Another way to preserve eggplant for winter food is canning. Stuffed fermented eggplant is very popular. To do this, ripe fruits are cut near the legs, cooked 40 minutes until cooked, and then stuffed with minced meat. For the filling, you can take carrots, onions, garlic, herbs. Do not be afraid to experiment, you should remember that due to impromptu wonderful culinary masterpieces are born, therefore, if other vegetables (for example, cabbage) are to your taste, then you can take them.
Minced meat should also be fried until half cooked, salt to taste (about two tablespoons per kilogram), and then stuff the eggplants with it. Then the finished fruit is placed tightly in a jar and left for several days at room temperature. After a week, this dish can already be eaten, sprinkled with vegetable oil.
Thus, stuffed eggplant can be cooked not only according to strict recipes, but also give free rein to imagination. This fruit successfully combines to taste not only with vegetables, but also with meat, cheese, nuts and other products. The finished dish can be seasoned with mayonnaise or sprinkled with lemon juice, served with sour cream sauce. The result can be not only an excellent side dish, but also a tasty independent dish.