People will find that eggplants absorb a lot of oil during cooking. Here are three cooking methods to reduce oil absorption:
1. Cold-dressed Eggplant Strips
Cut a long, thick eggplant in half lengthwise and crosswise, then steam in a pot for 10 minutes. Remove and drain the water, but be careful not to squeeze out all the juice to avoid losing more nutrients. Then, cut or preferably tear the eggplant into strips. Mix evenly with cold dressings such as salt, vinegar, minced garlic, sesame paste, and coriander leaves. The sesame paste can be prepared a bit thicker to help lock in the excess moisture in the eggplant.
2. Stir-fried Eggplant and Tomato Cubes
Cut the eggplant into cubes the size of a finger joint and mince the garlic. Add 2 tablespoons of cooking oil to a pan, stir-fry the eggplant cubes and minced garlic, and add a little vinegar. Reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for 2 minutes. When the eggplant softens, add salt, then add small pieces of tomato, stir-fry a few times, and it's ready to serve. Be sure to drain the excess oil from the pan when serving.
3. Di San Xian (Three Fresh Delicacies) and Braised Eggplant
When making these two traditional dishes, you can use a method of first blanching the eggplant in hot water and then stir-frying it quickly, which avoids deep-frying and reduces the amount of oil absorbed.
The temperatures for the first two cooking methods do not exceed 120°C, so they absorb less oil and also result in relatively less loss of nutrients like vitamins.