Stuffed eggplant: how to bake and ferment "boats" with filling

Eggplant in eastern countries is called "longevity vegetables" and is recommended for elderly people. Vegetables are rich in substances that are important for strengthening blood vessels and preventing heart disease. Potassium, phosphorus, sodium, copper, ascorbic acid, vitamins PP and B - you can list the usefulness in the composition indefinitely. So that the eggplant does not lose important substances, they must be properly prepared. The best solution is to bake. But just baked vegetables is commonplace, but if you stuff them, it’s not a shame to serve them for a dinner party.

Stuffed eggplant can be prepared in another way - to ferment. As the filling, use carrots or cabbage. The appetizer is spicy, spicy, aromatic. It is appropriate in the everyday menu, and in the festive.

Preparation of the “form”: 4 rules

To cook stuffed eggplant, you first need to prepare the "form". The presentable appearance and taste of the dish depends on this. Make mistakes at the preparatory stage - spoil the culinary masterpiece. To prevent this from happening, remember the four rules.

1. Choose the right vegetables. Medium-sized eggplants are ideal for stuffing. It is important that the vegetables are young, because with "age" they lose their taste, and even become harmful due to the high content of the toxic substance corned beef. It is possible to determine the “age” of a vegetable by the skin and the stalk: the peel of young vegetables is without folds or spots, the stalk is green, not dried up.
2. We make "forms". To stuff eggplants for baking in the oven, you need to make “molds” from them. It can be “boats” or “barrels”. "Boats" will turn out if the eggplant is divided into two halves along and with the help of a spoon remove the flesh. It is either thrown away or added to the filling. "Barrels" are made by cutting eggplant into several large pieces across: you should get a cylinder without a bottom. The pulp also needs to be cleaned. What kind of “mold” to make is a matter of personal preference. But stuffing the “boats” is a little easier: you don’t need to think that the filling will fall out from the back.
3. Soak. Eggplant "forms" need to be soaked in salted cold water for 30 minutes, and then proceed to stuffing. Do the same with the pulp, if you plan to use it in a dish. Soaking is necessary to "remove" corned beef, which is considered poison. Along with corned beef, characteristic bitterness will also go away. After pulling out the boats from the container where they were soaked, wash them under running water and stuff. An alternative way to get rid of bitterness is to boil the vegetables cut in half five minutes after boiling.
4. Cooking the filling. While the eggplant is soaked, you need to prepare the filling. Correctly stuff the little blue ones not with raw stuffing, but almost ready.For example, minced meat or mushrooms are pre-fried in a pan, and then filled with “boats” filling and brought to readiness in the oven. If you use raw stuffing, then while it is cooked, the eggplant "tins" are baked. Especially if you use minced meat as a filling.

Stuffed eggplant recipes in the oven: options for meat eaters ...

Most often, housewives stuff eggplant with meat, and then bake in the oven. It turns out a full-fledged second dish - delicious, aromatic, hearty. It is best to take pork and beef and make minced meat from them (1: 1), but you can stuff the eggplants with pieces of chicken or ham. Vegetables are added to the meat ingredient - tomatoes, onions, carrots. You can mix the stuffing with any grits, and no side dish is required. Eggplants traditionally stuffed with meat have a cheese crust, but cheese can not be rubbed on top.

A delicious dish will not work without spices. To a traditional set (salt, black pepper), you can add ground paprika, dried Italian herbs, basil, cilantro, parsley - the field for culinary experiments is large.

With minced meat and cheese

Features Eggplants stuffed with minced meat can be served as the main dish, offering a side dish to it - any cereals, spaghetti or mashed potatoes. In this case, it is better to prepare "boats". If you plan to serve eggplant as a snack, take young medium-sized vegetables and make small “barrels”. Do not throw away the pulp: according to the recipe it goes to the filling.

Ingredients:

• young eggplant - four pieces;
• minced meat - 300 g;
• hard cheese - 100 g;
• tomatoes - two large vegetables;
• bell pepper - one large;
• onions - two medium onions;
• garlic - two cloves;
• sunflower oil - for frying;
• parsley - at will;
• seasonings to taste.

Stages

1. Soak prepared "boats" according to the rules. Soak the eggplant pulp separately. After soaking the “form” pour boiling water and boil for five minutes.
2. Chop peppers, tomatoes, onions in small cubes. Cut the flesh of the “blue ones”.
3. Sauté the onion. When it turns golden, add the stuffing. Fry for seven minutes. Stuffing should become crumbly.
4. Add tomatoes, peppers, eggplant pulp. Languish ten minutes.
5. Add spices and garlic through a press.
6. Fill the boats with filling. Sprinkle with grated cheese on top.
7. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes. Temperature - 180 ° C.
8. When serving, sprinkle with finely chopped parsley.

In Turkish

Features Eggplant with minced meat - the "visiting card" of Turkish cuisine. Turkish housewives do not sprinkle the boats with cheese, it interrupts the stunning aroma of spices. The peculiarity of this dish is juicy meat filling soaked in tomato “notes”. According to the recipe, “boats” are prepared separately, minced meat - separately, and then brought under the “common denominator” in the oven. But you can also stuff raw "forms": then the baking time will increase to 30 minutes.

Ingredients:

• “Blue” - four vegetables;
• minced meat - 400 g;
• onion - two large onions;
• tomatoes - two large red tomatoes;
• hot pepper - one vegetable;
• tomato paste - two tablespoons;
• garlic - four cloves;
• meat broth - a glass;
• vegetable oil - for frying;
• seasonings (salt, ground paprika, hot pepper mixture) - to taste;
• any greens - at will.

Stages

1. Prepare the eggplant: cut in half and soak in salted water for 30 minutes.
2. Sauté the garlic in hot oil, but only lightly. When the cloves give up their aroma, they are removed. If the garlic burns, the eggplant will be bitter.
3. Dice the onion. Pour it into garlic-flavored oil. Pass the minute.
4. Add the minced meat. Stir and break lumps regularly, fry until half cooked.
5. Add spices, tomato paste, broth. Stew the filling for ten minutes.
6. Blanch the tomatoes, finely chop the tomato pulp and send it to the stewpan, where the filling is prepared. Stew all together for seven minutes.
7. Dry the eggplant halves with a napkin. Fry on all sides. Vegetables should become soft.
8. Make “boats” by removing the middle from the eggplant. Fill the “forms” with tomato and meat filling. Put strips of chili pepper on top - it will give a pleasant aroma and "speck".
9. Put in the oven (preheat to 200 ° C). Ten minutes later, the dish is ready. Serve generously sprinkled with herbs.

With ham and egg

Features The dish is hearty and beautiful. So you can stuff only "boats", from the "barrels" the egg will pour out. On top of the dish you can sprinkle with any herbs.

Ingredients:

• eggplant - two vegetables;
• onion - one onion;
• tomatoes - one big tomato;
• quail eggs - four pieces;
• ham - 200 g;
• hard cheese - 100 g;
• seasonings to taste;
• olive oil - for frying.

Stages

1. Prepare the boats. Do not throw away the pulp, it will also go to the filling.
2. Finely chop the onion, fry it until golden. Add diced ham, eggplant flesh, and chopped tomatoes. Season the filling to taste and fry for seven minutes.
3. Stuff the eggplants. Make a deepening in the filling and beat in the egg: one egg for one half.
4. Sprinkle “boats” with grated cheese. Bake for 35 minutes at 180 ° C.

... and for those who don’t like meat

Eggplant is optionally stuffed with meat. You can make a "light version" of the dish and use vegetables, mushrooms, walnuts, cottage cheese as the filling. If it is better to serve eggplant with meat filling hot, “blue” with a non-meat middle is tasty and cold.

With vegetables

Features Eggplants stuffed with vegetables are cooked quickly in the oven. The dish turns out juicy, aromatic, tasty: vegetables have a nice color, go well together. The dish is suitable for a vegetarian menu.

Ingredients:

• eggplant - two medium vegetables;
• red tomatoes - two pieces;
• carrots - one root crop;
• onion - one head;
• bell pepper - one;
• garlic - clove;
• dill, parsley - half the bunch;
• seasonings - to taste;
• vegetable oil - for frying.

Stages

1. Prepare the boats. Do not forget to soak them so that the bitterness is gone. Boil five minutes in boiling water.
2. Grate the carrots. Cut the pepper, onion and tomatoes into small cubes, pass the garlic through a press.
3. Sauté the onions and carrots. When they become golden, add the rest of the vegetables intended for the filling, season to taste. Stew for ten minutes.
4. Fill the boats with the filling. Bake at 200 ° C for about 15 minutes. Serve generously sprinkled with chopped herbs.

With mushrooms

Features The recipe for eggplant stuffed with mushrooms involves the use of mushrooms, but you can replace them with wild mushrooms - the taste will be more expressive. Experiment with seasonings: oregano, nutmeg, ground white pepper mix well with mushrooms.

Ingredients:

• eggplant - four pieces;
• champignons - 300 g;
• onions - one piece;
• tomatoes - two large tomatoes;
• seasonings - to choose from;
• olive oil - for frying.

Stages

1. Prepare the boats. Do not throw the pulp - it goes to the filling.
2. Cut the mushrooms into slices. Fry, and when the excess liquid is gone, add the onions and hold on the stove for another five minutes.
3. Fry separately the flesh of the “blue” and diced tomatoes.
4. Mix the components of the filling. Stuff the eggplants. Send the boats to the oven, bake for about 35 minutes at 180 ° C.

With cottage cheese

Features Eggplant with curd filling - a light dish. It is better to supplement it with a salad of fresh vegetables, but can be served with meat dishes, along with a side dish. Guests can enjoy such eggplant as a snack.

Ingredients:

• eggplant - four medium vegetables;
• low-fat cottage cheese - 200 g;
• hard cheese - 150 g;
• garlic - three cloves;
• chicken egg - one piece;
• pepper, salt - to taste;
• parsley - half a bunch.

Stages

1. Make the boats. Do not discard the pulp.
2. Rub the cottage cheese with a spoon, add the grated cheese, chopped herbs and garlic passed through the press to it. Season the filling to taste.
3. Add the eggplant pulp to the filling. Beat the raw egg. Mix well.
4. Bake stuffed “boats” for 30 minutes. Temperature - 180 ° C.

With nuts

Features A dish with a Georgian touch. To strengthen it, add cilantro to the filling. Hot or cold, eggplant stuffed with nuts is equally tasty. Serve "blue" with nuts as a snack. They can be stuffed with “boats” and “barrels”. This filling is often found in eggplant rolls. The recipe suggests that the “molds” will turn out “al dente”. If you like soft vegetables, then you can pre-bake “tins” for 15 minutes, and then stuff and bake according to the recipe.

Ingredients:

• eggplant - four vegetables;
• walnuts - half a glass;
• mayonnaise or sour cream - four tablespoons;
• hard cheese - 100 g;
• greens (cilantro, parsley, dill) - by eye;
• garlic - to taste;
• seasonings - optional.

Stages

1. Make the kegs out of the eggplant. After soaking, boil for five minutes in boiling water.
2. Grind nuts with a blender or mortar.
3. Combine nuts, sour cream (mayonnaise), grated cheese, add chopped herbs, garlic. Season to taste. This is the filling.
4. Stuff the eggplants. Sprinkle with cheese on top. Place in an oven preheated to 180 ° C for 15 minutes.

2 ways to prepare for future use

Delicious are not only baked stuffed eggplants, but also “blue” with the filling, prepared by the fermentation method. According to the hostesses, fermented spicy vegetables fly off the table in a matter of minutes.Cooking an appetizer is as easy as baking “boats” in the oven, but it will take more time. If you want to surprise guests with sauerkraut stuffed eggplants, remember that to ferment vegetables, you need time: you can try the “blue ones” only three days after preparation.

Stuffed with carrots

Features Eggplants stuffed with carrots and garlic are spicy. Appetizers can be diversified and the festive menu, and everyday. It is important to keep the proportions to make it tasty. If you like very spicy snacks, add chili peppers.

Ingredients

• "Blue" medium size - 1 kg;
• carrots - three large vegetables;
• garlic - six cloves;
• salt - one and a half tablespoons;
• vinegar (6%) - a tablespoon;
• black peppercorns - five peas;
• bay leaf - one;
• water - 700 ml (for brine).

Stages

1. Prepare the eggplant: remove the tails of the washed vegetables. Make a longitudinal cut on each eggplant. It should be deep - reach for the middle of the vegetable.
2. Fold the eggplant in a large pot, add half a teaspoon of salt, pour boiling water (vegetables should be covered with water). Boil for five minutes.
3. Put the vegetables on the wire rack, crush the oppression. Its role can be played by a container of water. Keep vegetables under oppression until they cool. It is necessary that the excess fluid is gone - the eggplant will become dense, lose bitterness.
4. Chop the carrots, add the sliced ​​garlic to it.
5. Rub the inner walls of the eggplant through a cut with salt, lay out the carrot and garlic filling.
6. Fold the stuffed eggplants close together in a container. When choosing it, keep in mind that oppression will be placed on top of vegetables. You can use, for example, ducklings.
7. Boil the marinade: boil 700 ml of water, add the remaining salt and spices. When the marinade has cooled a little, pour vinegar into it.
8. Pour eggplant with marinade. Put vegetables under oppression. Keep it at room temperature for three days, then send it to the refrigerator for a day, and then try it.

Stuffed cabbage

Features Sauerkraut stuffed with cabbage will be an excellent addition to mashed potatoes, dumplings with potatoes, dumplings and meat dishes. When serving, pour the pickled vegetables with vegetable oil - it tastes better.

Ingredients

• “Blue ones” - 1.5 kg;
• white cabbage - 400 g;
• carrots - two large;
• sweet pepper - two pieces;
• garlic - two cloves;
• water - 1.5 l (for brine);
• salt - 70 g (for brine);
• spices - optional.

Stages

1. Wash the eggplant, remove the stalks. Make punctures on each vegetable with a fork in several places.
2. Fold the eggplant in a saucepan, fill with water (to be covered). After boiling, boil for five minutes. After cooling, make deep cuts along the length: you should get two connected halves.
3. Prepare the filling: chop cabbage, chop pepper, grate carrots. Mix the vegetables. Squeeze the garlic here. Salt and leave for a while, so that the cabbage starts up the juice.
4. Engage in the preparation of brine: add salt to the water, boil, cool.
5. Squeeze with prepared “blue” juice. Stuff it. Wrap with thread so as not to fall apart.
6. Stuff the stuffed eggplants in a deep bowl. Press down on top of the yoke. Leave to ferment at room temperature for two days, then put in the refrigerator for a day, and you can try.

Stuffed eggplant is easy to make in season - all ingredients are available. But what to do when the summer is over? The thrifty housewife in the refrigerator will always find frozen blanks. Eggplants are frozen only after heat treatment, otherwise after defrosting the vegetables will turn into “bitter cotton wool”. Before freezing, the “little blue ones” can be boiled, baked in the oven or put out. Do not forget about pre-soaking. If all the rules are met, you can please the household with stuffed eggplants at any time: it will be enough to unfreeze the blanks for pickled vegetables or “forms” for baking.

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