General principles for cooking eggplant with tomatoes and garlic
Eggplant is a specific product that requires pre-treatment before cooking. It has a bitterness that needs to be disposed of and, in addition, it is quite porous, so it absorbs both water and oil in very large quantities. Therefore, regardless of the recipe, the first thing to do is to cut the eggplants, put them in a deep bowl, salt well and leave so at least 20 minutes by 20. At this time, you can cook the remaining ingredients of the dish. After 20 minutes, you need to drain the resulting liquid (bitterness also goes away with it), thoroughly rinse and squeeze the eggplants with your hands - and you can proceed! Now, when frying, the oil will not be absorbed so much that, of course, it will favorably affect the health and figures of eaters. An alternative way to prepare eggplants for further cooking is to put them for the same 20 minutes in highly salt water.
Tomatoes in recipes with eggplant can be used with or without skin. To quickly peel a tomato from the skin, you need to cross it into a shallow cross, put in a bowl and pour boiling water over it. After waiting a few minutes, pour the tomatoes with very cold water - after that the skin becomes easy to remove.
When cooking eggplant, garlic is the most welcome guest, because they themselves are quite lean in taste. So medium-sized eggplant most often has a whole head of garlic.
Recipe 1: Warm eggplant sandwiches with tomatoes and garlic
Ingredients: 2 medium-sized eggplants, 2 large elastic tomatoes, a head of garlic, parsley, vegetable oil, mayonnaise.
Cooking method
Wash the eggplants, cut them diagonally into elongated slices 1 cm thick, and prepare as described above. In order not to waste time in vain, while you can peel all the garlic and cut each clove thinly across the plate. Cut the tomatoes in circles 1 cm thick, as well as eggplant.
Fried eggplant prepared; put half the resulting warm lobules on a flat plate one at a time. Literally drip mayonnaise on each slice, lay the garlic slices tightly on top of each other, and on them is a circle of tomato and parsley. Then put the garlic on the tomato again, on top - a drop of mayonnaise, and cover the whole structure with another warm piece of eggplant. It turns out delicious and very satisfying sandwiches.
Recipe 2: Eggplant Appetizer with Tomato and Garlic
Ingredients: 1 large, preferably smooth, eggplant, 1 medium onion, 1 head of garlic, 1 large tomato (can be replaced with canned), vegetable oil, salt, pepper or a mixture of peppers.
Cooking method
Cut the eggplant into round slices 3-4 mm thick, prepare as indicated in the article above. It is necessary to peel the tomato, as this is easiest to do, also described above. Fry eggplant on both sides, gradually spreading on a plate. Sprinkle each layer of prepared eggplant with garlic mashed in the press (about half of the head should go for this).
Now you need to prepare a delicious dressing for a snack. To do this, fry finely chopped onions, tomatoes and the remaining garlic, salt and pepper to taste. Simmer for 3-4 minutes until the main liquid has evaporated, and the filling is thicker.
Spread the finished dressing evenly over the eggplant slices.
Recipe 3: Eggplant Casserole with Tomato and Garlic Cheese
Ingredients: 4-5 medium-sized eggplants, 3 medium onions, 4 tomatoes, 6-7 cloves of garlic, 1 sweet pepper, 250 g of cheese (any hard variety), mayonnaise, vegetable oil, salt, spices to taste.
Cooking method
Peel the eggplants, cut them into 1 cm slices along the length and prepare according to the general principle described at the beginning of the article, then fry in vegetable oil on both sides until a beautiful crust is formed.
Cut onion and sweet pepper into thin half rings, tomatoes into half circles. Fry vegetables in eggplant oil until softened.
Prepare the sauce: mix mayonnaise, mashed garlic and spices thoroughly in a press.
Now put the pieces of eggplant on a baking sheet, trying to place them as close to each other as possible or with an overlap. Top with half garlic sauce, then evenly add the fried vegetables, grease them with the remaining half of the sauce.
Grate all the cheese on a coarse grater and distribute it over the entire area of the dish.
Put for 20-25 minutes in the oven preheated to 180 degrees - and the eggplant casserole with tomatoes and garlic under the cheese is ready!
Recipe 4: Mini eggplant rolls with tomatoes and garlic
Ingredients: 3 smooth, medium-sized eggplants, 2-3 medium tomatoes, half a head of garlic, 150 grams of cheese (any hard variety), fresh herbs (whatever you like), mayonnaise, vegetable oil, salt, pepper.
Cooking method
Cut the eggplant along into thin slices (about 3 mm), then prepare as a general principle. While the liquid leaves the eggplant, you need to prepare the cheese-garlic mass - mix the grated cheese, garlic squeezed through a press, finely chopped greens, mayonnaise and pepper to taste. Cut tomatoes into 6 slices each. Fry the prepared eggplant strips on both sides in vegetable oil.
It remains only to roll rolls. To do this, put a thin layer of cheese and garlic mass on a third of the eggplant strips (apply starting from the edge). Put a slice of tomato on top of the mass on the very edge.
Gently roll the roll. Typically, such rolls do not fall apart themselves, but for reliability and beauty you can fasten them with skewers.
Recipe 5: Oven Chicken with Eggplant, Tomato and Garlic
Ingredients: a small whole chicken, 5-6 small eggplants, a head of garlic, 4-5 large tomatoes, 1 medium onion, 1 cup of dry white wine, lots of herbs, olive oil - 100 g, a small bunch of parsley, salt, pepper.
Cooking method
Cut eggplant into large cubes and prepare as a general principle. Peel the tomatoes.
Cut the chicken into large pieces. Instead of a whole chicken, you can use only those parts that you like - chicken legs, breasts.
Fry the chicken in butter on both sides until golden brown. Then put in a poultry bowl or other deep utensil suitable for cooking in the oven.
In oil from chicken, fry finely chopped onion and garlic until golden brown, then put them on top of the chicken. It is advisable that the oil in this case fall into the tank as little as possible.
On high heat, fry the eggplant, washed from salt, until softened, and also add them to the chicken.
It remains to prepare the gravy. To do this, pour white wine into a clean preheated pan, warm for 2 minutes. Put the chopped or grated tomatoes in the preheated wine, add salt and half the chopped parsley. Mix everything and boil for 2-3 minutes.
Add gravy to chicken and eggplant. Lightly ram everything in the dish. Gravy should cover chicken and eggplant slightly. If it is too small - add a glass of clean water.
Cover with a dish or foil and send to the oven preheated to 180 degrees for 40 minutes. Then pull out the dish, mix and send again to the oven, but without the lid or foil. This is necessary so that the excess liquid evaporates. This usually takes about 15 minutes.
Recipe 6: Eggplant Fans with Tomatoes and Garlic
Ingredients: small eggplants by the number of eaters, the same number of large tomatoes, a head of garlic, cheese (any hard variety) - 100 g for each eggplant, herbs to taste, mayonnaise, salt, pepper.
Please note that more than two eggplants will not fit on a baking sheet at a time! For a baking sheet, you need vegetable oil or baking paper.
Cooking method
Cut the eggplant along the entire length into slices about 1 cm thick, but so that they do not fall apart, but remain fastened at the stem. Get "books" of eggplant. Then prepare them as a general principle.
In a bowl, mix chopped greens, garlic and mayonnaise squeezed through a press, pepper.
Cut the tomatoes into circles 5-7 mm thick, cut the cheese into slices (as for sandwiches) also 5-7 mm thick
Prepare a baking sheet: either grease it with a small amount of vegetable oil, or cover it with baking paper. Foil in this case will not work. Set the oven to warm up (200 degrees).
Wash eggplant with salt. The eggplant "book" has now become much softer, its "sheets" should easily bend without breaking. Carefully grease all the “sheets” on both sides with the garlic mass. Then put the eggplant on a baking sheet, pressing on the stalk so that the "sheets" open like a fan. Now put a piece of cheese and tomato between all the slices. Fans will then take up much more space on the baking sheet, so stack them better one at a time and so that the stalks are directed at opposite diagonally angled baking sheets.
Bake the dish for about 40 minutes. Then put each fan on a plate, carefully collect the cooled spreading cheese, cut it into pieces and put it into the fans.
Recipe 7: Eggplant Stew with Tomatoes and Garlic
Ingredients: 2-3 small eggplant, 1 small onion, 3 tomatoes, 5-6 cloves of garlic, 1 red bell pepper, 2 tbsp. capers, 1 tsp sugar, 1 tbsp wine vinegar, 2 tbsp. crushed cashews, spices (oregano, basil) - to taste, parsley, vegetable oil, salt, pepper.
Cooking method
Peel the eggplants, cut them into small cubes and prepare them according to the general principle, and then fry them in vegetable oil until a thin crust is obtained.
While the eggplant reaches the desired condition in one pan, vegetables should be cooked on the other. To do this, fry the garlic, chopped into thin slices across the cloves in vegetable oil, and then add the finely chopped onion. Next, add sweet pepper, cut into strips, and then - cubes of tomato, previously peeled from the skins. Salt, add oregano and basil, pour wine vinegar. Mix everything thoroughly and bring the mixture to a boil. Lastly, add the capers and mix again.
Add the resulting vegetable mass to the eggplant (by this time they should already be ready). As the last stroke, chopped parsley and chopped cashew nuts go to the stew. Mix everything again, let it boil for a couple of minutes and remove from heat.
Recipe 8: Potted Eggplant Stew with Tomatoes and Garlic
Ingredients for 3 servings: 2 small eggplant, 2 medium tomatoes, 1 bell pepper, 6 cloves of garlic, 150 g of any hard cheese, 3 tbsp. sour cream, 1 onion, parsley, spices, herbs and salt to taste, boiling water - about 300 ml. You will need pots with lids.
Cooking method
Peel the eggplants, cut them into 6-7 cm long cubes and prepare them according to the general principle described at the beginning of the article, but you can not wash them from salt. After 20 minutes, fry in vegetable oil until soft and golden brown. When ready - put on the bottom of the pots.
Add coarsely chopped tomatoes and slices of bell pepper to the eggplant.
Chop the onion and garlic, fry until golden and distribute in pots. Add your favorite spices, a spoonful of sour cream and chopped parsley.
Pour boiling water into the pots - so much that they are filled by about two-thirds. Top with grated cheese and cover with lids. Simmer in the oven for 40 minutes at a temperature of 180 degrees.
Recipe 8: Stuffed Eggplant with Tomato and Garlic
Ingredients: 4 small eggplants (preferably about the same size), 300 g minced meat, 4 medium tomatoes, 3 medium onions, 4 cloves of garlic, 100 g of any hard cheese, vegetable oil, spices to taste, salt, pepper.
Cooking method
Peel the eggplants, cut them in half lengthwise and remove the flesh from each so that there are "boats". Both these boats and the pulp must be prepared before cooking according to the general principle.
In a large pan, lightly fry chopped garlic and onions in vegetable oil, then add minced meat to them and cook for another 10 minutes.
Cut the flesh of eggplant (what was taken out of the "boats") and tomatoes. After 10 minutes, add them to the minced meat and simmer another 10 minutes.
Lay baking paper on a baking sheet and lay eggplant boats on it. Fill this base with the prepared filling, sprinkle each portion on top with cheese, grated on a fine grater.
Bake in the oven for 30 minutes at a temperature of 180 degrees.
Eggplant with tomatoes and garlic - small tricks of experienced chefs
Remove excess fat.
It often happens that eggplants, despite pre-processing, still fry too much oil when frying. Well, or simply there was no time to wait until the excess water comes out of the eggplant. In this case, after frying, it is advisable to transfer them to a large flat plate covered with cooking paper or just paper towels. On top of the eggplant, you also need to close it with paper or a towel, squeeze lightly and leave it for a few minutes.
Eggplant with tomatoes and garlic - is it hot or cold?
A nice feature of any eggplant dishes with tomatoes and garlic is that they are equally tasty, both hot and cold. So you can safely cook "in reserve", without fear for the fact that the products will be wasted in vain.
