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Give eggplants space on plate

September 13, 2009 12:36 am

MOST Americans don't know how to prepare a vegetable that is beloved worldwide, and in some places believed to be an aphrodisiac for men and women.

While it's hard to prove that eggplants can spark the heart to feel romance, it is true that eggplants physically help the heart.

Eggplants are rich in soluble fiber, which helps lower cholesterol levels, plus they are loaded with heart-healthy antioxidants. And eggplant skin contains a special natural chemical, nasunin, which also protects brain cells.

Although eggplants have been in America since President Thomas Jefferson grew them in his gardens at Monticello, many of us still don't know what to do with them.

Americans eat less than a pound of eggplant per person per year, according to federal data. Yet eggplants play a main role in many mouth-watering dishes worldwide.

Eggplants were first domesticated in India and Pakistan about 4,000 years ago. Technically berries, eggplants are cousins of tomatoes. Besides the large, purple fruits with patent-leather shiny skins, eggplants come in many shapes and colors, including thin, finger-long striped lavender fruits and even orange- and green-striped varieties.

Different varieties have subtly different tastes. Smaller varieties usually have more tender skin. Modern varieties have milder flavors and don't need to be salted or soaked, as some older cookbooks suggest.

Late summer and early fall are the best time to buy eggplants.

RICH IN ANTIOXIDANTS

Whatever kind of eggplant you choose, they're all very low in calories. A cup of broiled eggplant has only 33 calories, but supplies a respectable 2.5 grams of fiber.

Because of they contain so much soluble fiber, eggplants were one of the veggies used in the cholesterol-lowering Portfolio Eating Plan. Researchers found volunteers' cholesterol levels dropped as much as 33 percent on this vegetarian eating plan.

Eggplants also contain small amounts of natural chemicals that mimic medications for diabetes and blood pressure: alpha-glucosidase inhibitors used to treat diabetes, and ACE inhibitors used to reduce high blood pressure. That's according to scientists at University of Massachusetts.

Of course, eggplants are not a substitute for seeing a doctor or taking medicine.

A WORLD OF RECIPES

Worldwide, most people don't eat eggplant for health--they do it for pleasure. Learning about delicious eggplant dishes takes you on a delicious global tour.

I'll start with one of my favorite summer dishes, ratatouille. Made famous in France, this country dish involves sauteing onions, garlic, eggplants, pepper, tomatoes and zucchini in olive oil with herbs such as rosemary, thyme and marjoram. It cooks in 10 to 15 minutes flat on the stovetop, and can be eaten as a stew or spread on bread, sprinkled with Parmesan cheese.

Here's a rundown of other eggplant dishes enjoyed around the world:

Italians must be crazy for eggplant, judging from the number of dishes it appears in. One of the most comforting, I believe, is eggplant Parmesan. This dish is similar to lasagna, but uses bread and fried eggplant rounds instead of lasagna noodles. It's layered with herbed tomato sauce and melted mozzarella and Parmesan. Glorious!

Lazy cook that I am, I have experimented with quicker ways. Instead of frying the eggplant, I've dipped it in milk and seasoned bread crumbs and baked it, then added it to the casserole. To cheat even more, you can just put the raw, breaded eggplant in the casserole pan, layer with sauce and cheese, and bake it.

Or, skip the breading altogether for a lower-carb, quicker dinner--bake in the oven in a covered dish for 30 minutes.

Eggplant panini is another delicious dish. Just grill or saute eggplant slices drizzled in olive oil. Fill a sandwich with the slices. If you like, add raw or roasted red peppers, fresh basil, garlic and cheese--mozzarella or feta cheese work well and tend to be lower in fat than other cheeses. Grill or toast the sandwich bread, and you have a delicious and hearty dinner.

In India, where eggplants are believed to have originated, they are called "baingan" in Hindi. Eggplants taste lovely sliced and sauteed in a little oil with curry powder, taking on a wonderful gold color. Add chopped tomatoes and green peas at the end of cooking for a lovely garnish.

In the Middle East, eggplants are a key ingredient in baba ganoush.

Combined with garlic, lemon juice and sesame tahini sauce, roasted and pureed eggplants make baba ganoush--a fabulous dip, somewhat akin to hummus. This is the sauce that purportedly has aphrodisiac properties, according to Turkish legend.

Kabobs are also from the Middle East, and eggplants are easy to use in veggie kabobs. Chop into chunks and skewer them with a mix of other veggies, such as onions, cherry tomatoes and sweet peppers. Brush with olive oil or vinaigrette dressing, and grill until tender.

In Greece, eggplant is a key ingredient in a complicated casserole called moussaka.

In Asia, eggplants are used in all sorts of dishes. One particularly delicious way to serve them is in spicy peanut sauce, made with garlic, cilantro, cayenne pepper, vinegar, soy sauce and, of course, peanut butter.

In the Middle East, it is said that dreaming of eggplants is a happy omen.

Happy eating to you!

Jennifer Motl welcomes reader questions via her Web site, brighteat ing.com, or mailed to Nutrition, The Free Lance-Star, 616 Amelia St., Fredericksburg, Va. 22401.