Eggplant is an inexpensive and nutritious vegetable. Not only is it rich in nutrients like dietary fiber and vitamin P, which are very beneficial for anti-aging and protecting cardiovascular health, but it is also rich in antioxidant substances such as flavonoids, which help prevent age spots or skin pigmentation. Sprinkle a little water on the eggplant before stir-frying. However, its nature of being "oil-absorbent" can greatly reduce its nutritional value. In this issue, I'll teach you a great trick for stir-frying eggplant with less oil—sprinkle some water on it before cooking.
Stir-fried Eggplant with Hang Chili
After cutting or tearing the eggplant into the desired shape, sprinkle a little water on its surface (dip your fingers in water and flick it onto the eggplant). This way, the stir-fried eggplant is not only easier to cook but also uses relatively less oil. Because after sprinkling water and then heating, it can soften the cell walls of the eggplant, thereby reducing its oil absorption. Water has a faster heat transfer rate, which can also speed up the ripening of the eggplant. In addition, stirring the eggplant with chopsticks during cooking can ensure that it is heated and cooked evenly.
Steaming the eggplant in a steamer before stir-frying can also save more oil, because during the steaming process, the eggplant absorbs a lot of water, increasing its saturation and greatly reducing its oil absorption ability. However, although the eggplant prepared this way absorbs less oil, it is very prone to releasing water, which might result in a situation where "half the plate is eggplant and half is water." Moreover, the texture of the eggplant becomes soft and mushy, losing its original flavor. The steaming method is limited to making steamed eggplant puree or stuffed eggplant.