Brinjal - How To Get The Most Out Of It

 

The brinjal when cooked absorbs the taste of the gravy very well and adds a rich texture to the dish. It is low in calories and high in potassium and fibre. It also has folate, magnesium and phosphorus.

 

It's always best to choose brinjals that are fresh and firm, smooth and shiny. The caps of leaves surrounding the stem must be fresh. The skin of the brinjal should be smooth, without any bruisemarks and shiny. Press gently on the skin. If it doesn't bounce back and stays dented it is not fresh. If the brinjal is too spongy, it has been on the shelf too long while rock hard ones have also been left too long on the shelf. Another sign of over maturity is colour - purple ones become bronze colour, white and green ones become yellow.

Choose brinjals that are heavy for their size, avoid those with soft and brown spots. Look for male brinjals which have fewer seeds (the seeds are often bitter). The female brinjals have a rounder, smoother end. The end is usually indented.

 

Brinjals with dark purple skin contain a bitter liquid just under the skin. The bitter taste disappears after about 20 minutes of cooking. Lightly salt the cut brinjal and place it in a colander and let it stand for 20 minutes. The salt will draw out the bitter juice. You can rinse off the salt if you want, but this is not necessary. It is not necessary to salt brinjals that are small but it would be good to salt brinjals with lots of seeds. Another way to remove the bitterness is to peel the brinjal and to remove the layer of flesh closest to the skin. To peel the skin of the brinjal easily - hold it over the gas stove and let the skin burn. When cool, the skin can be removed easily. Brinjals turn brown when exposed to air so it is usually cut and left in water or rubbed with lemon juice. Brinjals can be stored in the refrigerator. Just keep them in a plastic bag and put it in the refrigerator.