I hated the look and taste of Eggplants from my childhood. Few years ago, my mum prepared Eggplant curry and that is when my liking for eggplant started. A slightly fried/roasted Eggplant is my personal favorite and I can gobble it even without any seasoning. The health benefits of this humble vegetable are innumerable and I would like to list a few of them.
- Eggplants are low in calories and high in water content hence, Eggplant dishes can be eaten for bigger meals of the day without compromising on the nutrients. A 100 grams of eggplant contains only 25 calories with 6% potassium and 12% Dietary fiber making it the best food for weight-loss and people who are following Low Carb diet.
- The high fiber content in Eggplants helps keep the digestive tract healthy. It also prevents consti pation and helps keep away the colon cancer.
- Eggplants contain fair amount of vitamin-c making it an effective anti-bacterial and anti-viral.
- Eggplants are known to reduce the risks of cardiovascular diseases and strokes.
- Eggplants also contain phytonutrients that help to preserve memory function.
- Regular consumption of Eggplants keep the blood sugar levels at bay inturn helping to reduce the risks of heart attack and other heart diseases.
That is a lot of health benefits from one vegetable isn't it? I have stuffed the Eggplant slices with a simple and tasty stuffing of onion and bell pepper chops with some little bits of grated Mozzarella. You can also make a nice stuffing of mixed veggies with some goat cheese.
| Nutritional Information (Approx) | (per serving) | ||
| Energy | 35 | Calories | |
| Fat | 2 | % | |
| Carbohydrates | 0.6 | % | |
| Dietary Fiber | 12 | % | |
| Sodium | 0.03 | % | |
| Vitamin A | 0 | % | |
| Vitamin C | 3 | % | |
| Calcium | 1 | % | |
| Iron | 1 | % | |
| Protein | 1.6 | Grams | |
| Sugar | 3.5 | Grams | |
| Ingredients | |
| [makes 6 spirals] | |
| Egg plant | 1 large |
| Oil | 4 teaspoons |
| Garlic cloves chopped | 2 |
| Salt | to taste |
| Mozzarella cheese | 3 tablespoons |
| Ingredients for stuffing | |
| Onion chopped | 1 |
| Bell pepper chopped | 1 |
| Onion chopped | 1 small |
| Green chillies chopped finely | 2 |
| Salt | to taste |
* Heat oil in a frying pan and add onion, green chillies and bell peppers. Fry till onion looks transparent.
Add salt, fry for another minute and transfer it to a bowl.
* Cut the eggplant into thin vertical slices. In a frying pan, heat oil and add chopped garlic. Fry garlic for a minute and take the garlic out of frying pan.
* Lower the flame and fry the Eggplant slices in that garlic oil to get the aroma of garlic on eggplant slices.
* Flip the slice and fry the eggplant till it is evenly cooked. Do the same for all the eggplant slices and let them cool.
* When the Eggplant slices are cool enough to touch, smear salt lightly on one side of the slices. Place the stuffing on the bigger part of the eggplant slice and top the stuffing with Mozzarella cheese.
* Roll the Eggplant slice into a spiral tightly so that the slice can hold the stuffing. Secure with tooth pick if required.
* Once done stuffing all the eggplant slices, place the spirals in a microwave container/baking dish. If using a microwave oven, microwave the spirals for only 3 minutes when the cheese starts to melt. If using a convection oven, bake for 10 minutes at 180 degrees.
* Serve hot as a starter for lunch or dinner.
Add salt, fry for another minute and transfer it to a bowl.
* Cut the eggplant into thin vertical slices. In a frying pan, heat oil and add chopped garlic. Fry garlic for a minute and take the garlic out of frying pan.
* Lower the flame and fry the Eggplant slices in that garlic oil to get the aroma of garlic on eggplant slices.
* Flip the slice and fry the eggplant till it is evenly cooked. Do the same for all the eggplant slices and let them cool.
* When the Eggplant slices are cool enough to touch, smear salt lightly on one side of the slices. Place the stuffing on the bigger part of the eggplant slice and top the stuffing with Mozzarella cheese.
* Roll the Eggplant slice into a spiral tightly so that the slice can hold the stuffing. Secure with tooth pick if required.
* Once done stuffing all the eggplant slices, place the spirals in a microwave container/baking dish. If using a microwave oven, microwave the spirals for only 3 minutes when the cheese starts to melt. If using a convection oven, bake for 10 minutes at 180 degrees.
* Serve hot as a starter for lunch or dinner.
