How to cook sautéed eggplant: master the classic technology, cook in a slow cooker and in the oven

Incredible aroma, juicy slices of vegetables, delicate taste - this is what sauté from blue ones is. Dietary, light, but at the same time satisfying meal will be appropriate both in everyday and in the holiday menu. It is served as an appetizer, as a main course or as a side dish for meat. Blue saute is delicious both hot and cold.

Sauté and stew: what is the difference

Behind the word "sauté" is a dish similar to stew. Even the classic set of products for these two dishes is the same: blue, tomatoes, bell peppers, onions. The difference lies in the principle of preparation.

Initially, the word "sate" was not called the dish itself, but the culinary technique. From French, “sauté” is translated as “jumping”. Vegetables are fried in a pan or in a saucepan, but in the process of cooking they are not mixed with a spatula or spoon, but are “shaken”. As a result, they turn out juicy, do not fall apart. Sauté is cooked by quenching, but even at this stage the components are not mixed with a spoon. Thanks to this culinary technique, it is possible to maintain the integrity of the components. The aromas of the products from which the dish is prepared complement each other, connecting to a culinary symphony.

Vegetable stew is cooked differently: stewed. In the process of cooking, stir the dish, pieces of vegetables become loose. At first glance, the differences between sauté and stew are insignificant, but the cooking technology, according to gourmet reviews, affects the final taste.

The subtleties of cooking step by step

How to cook eggplant sauté to make it really tasty? Everything is important: the preparation of ingredients, the choice of kitchen utensils, and the observance of culinary techniques. Follow the tips to easily master the wisdom of cooking sauté.

• Correctly chop the vegetables. The main ingredient of the dish is eggplant. It needs to be cut large. Circles or cubes - the choice of the hostess. The remaining components can be cut arbitrarily, but it is also better to coarse - it looks more harmonious.
• We remove the bitterness from the little blue ones. Eggplant has a specific bitter taste. Bitterness will spoil the taste of the dish, so it must first be removed. The blue ones sliced ​​on a honeycomb are soaked in water with the addition of salt for 30 minutes or salted and left for 20 minutes, and then washed. Remember that in young vegetables there is less bitterness, and overripe can even cause poisoning due to the high content of corned beef.
• We choose the right utensils. Cooking saute consists of two stages - frying the ingredients and stewing. Need a frying pan and stewing capacity. Ideal if there is a stew-pan: it is convenient to “shake” vegetables in it. You can cook sauté from eggplant and pepper in a pan in which the products are fried, but only if it has high sides. You can bring the dish to readiness in a cast-iron cauldron or in a pan with a thick bottom. At the final stages of cooking, you can use a slow cooker.
• Fry the ingredients individually. Fry the components of the dish alternately. If you put everything in a frying pan all at once, then the vegetables will let the juice and begin to stew - you get stew. The exception is frying.Carrots and onions can be fried in one pan, but they need to be laid alternately: first comes the onion.
• We use a minimum of oil. Use a little oil to fry vegetables. Especially it is impossible to pour a lot into a blue pan: they absorb fat like a sponge. As a result, instead of a low-calorie light meal, you can get a salad that runs out of oil.
• Do not mix the components. Sauté ingredients should not be stirred with a spoon or spatula - neither at the frying stage, nor during the stewing. Otherwise, you get porridge. So that the vegetables are evenly fried and not burnt, the pan must be shaken periodically: the ingredients must bounce.
• We monitor the temperature. Fry vegetables on low heat. Otherwise, they will burn. You can not use a spoon, and with shaking it is difficult to determine that the vegetables began to burn. But first you need to heat the oil, and only then reduce the heat: so the vegetables will quickly “grab” and all the juices will remain inside the pieces. Stew at a minimum: vegetables should be saturated with each other's aromas, “reach” until cooked, but not cook.
• Lay out in layers. In a classic recipe, the fried ingredients are laid out in a saucepan or casserole in layers. Do not mix with a spoon. You can only lightly shake off the container.

A classic recipe for sautéed eggplant ...

Description. The classic sauté of blue ones requires a minimum set of ingredients: only vegetables, herbs, spices are used. You can take any greens, but usually the hostesses add parsley or dill.

Ingredients:

• blue ones - four medium vegetables;
• Bulgarian pepper - two (preferably different colors);
• tomatoes - three large (red);
• onion - a large onion;
• carrots - one big;
• garlic - to taste;
• greens - a bunch of dill / parsley;
• sugar by eye;
• salt, ground pepper - to taste;
• vegetable oil - for frying.

Stages

1. Cut the little blue rings. Soak in salted water for 20-30 minutes.
2. Cut the carrots into slices, pepper and onion - in half rings. Do not mix blanks.
3. Make cross-shaped incisions at the base of the tomato. Dip the tomatoes for a couple of seconds in boiling water, remove from hot water to cold. Remove the skin, chop the pulp into large cubes.
4. Fry the prepared blue ones in a pan. Oils - a minimum. Turn over by shaking. It is advisable to spend no more than two minutes on frying.
5. Separately, fry the remaining vegetable preparations, except for tomatoes. Do not forget to adhere to the classical technique - do not mix in the traditional way.
6. Squeeze the garlic, mix with salt, ground pepper.
7. Pour some oil into the saucepan. At the bottom are eggplant. You need to sprinkle them with spices and crush a little sugar - for a delicate taste.
8. Spread layers of other vegetables - fried and tomatoes. The order may be any. If the depth of the tank allows, then the layers can be repeated.
9. Cover the stewpan with a lid. Bring to readiness over low heat. The final cooking step will take approximately 20 minutes.
10. Serve generously sprinkled with herbs.

... and 3 culinary fantasies

There are many recipes for sauté from blue ones. Technology remains unchanged, but ingredients change. Other vegetables are added to the hostess's traditional set: zucchini, cauliflower, potatoes. Harmoniously “sound” in dishes with blue mushrooms. It is better to take mushrooms, as the forest has a bright taste: they can “clog” the taste and aroma of other vegetables. If you want to cook a full-fledged second course, you can add meat - it will turn out tasty and satisfying.

You can experiment not only with ingredients, but also with seasoning.Bay leaf, saffron, hops-suneli, nutmeg - thanks to spices, the familiar dish will take on a whole new taste.

With Chiken

Description. A hearty meal that can be served for lunch. Chicken can be replaced with any meat, then the cooking time will increase. The main condition is that the meat must be lean. The recipe allows you to experiment: you can add any vegetables, mushrooms and each time to get a new dish. Serve hot with meat.

Ingredients:

• blue - three medium fruits;
• sweet pepper - two pieces;
• carrot - one large root crop;
• onions - a large head;
• tomatoes - two pieces;
• chicken - one filet;
• garlic - to taste;
• vegetable oil - by eye;
• spices, herbs - to choose from.

Stages

1. Blue cut into circles. To salt. Leave on for 20 minutes, then rinse.
2. Cut the fillet into large cubes, carrots and tomatoes - in circles. Chop the onion and pepper in half rings.
3. Fry the ingredients in a saucepan in turn, not forgetting the cooking technique: without a spatula, mix with “shaking”.
4. Put the fried vegetables and meat in a deep container in layers. The order is up to you, but tomatoes are always on top. Add garlic seasoning.
5. Simmer under the lid over low heat for about 30 minutes.
6. At the end, sprinkle generously with herbs.

With potatoes

Description. To prepare the dish, boil the potatoes until half cooked, other vegetables are fried separately. According to the recipe, tomato juice is added, but you can take fresh tomatoes. To get a bright taste, use more spices. If you add oregano, coriander, caraway seeds to the traditional set of spices (salt and pepper), the dish will “sound” in a new way.

Ingredients:

• eggplant - two young vegetables;
• potatoes - 0.5 kg;
• onion - one - two onions;
• carrots - two root crops;
• tomato juice - a glass;
• garlic - to taste;
• spices - to choose from;
• any greens;
• vegetable oil - for frying.

Stages

1. Cut the blue ones into large cubes. Salt, wait 20 minutes, rinse under running water. Fry by shaking for a couple of minutes.
2. Dice potatoes. Boil until half cooked. You can add a bay leaf to the potato pan for flavor.
3. Cut the carrots into large strips, the onion into half rings. Fry together, shaking the stewpan.
4. Put all vegetables in layers in a deep container with a thick bottom. Add spices, garlic. Pour in tomato juice. Stew for 20 minutes.
5. Remove from the stove, add chopped greens and let it brew for ten minutes.

With apples

Description. The dish is cooked without frying and onions. Sautéed apples are tender. Take sweet and sour fruits: they will give a "sourness", which harmoniously complement the vegetable taste.

Ingredients:

• blue - four young vegetables;
• Bulgarian pepper - three (different colors);
• carrots - two large root crops;
• apples - three medium sweet and sour fruits;
• tomatoes - four large;
• spices to taste;
• vegetable oil (refined) - for frying.

Stages

1. Cut the blue ones into cubes, salt, wait 20 minutes to leave the bitterness. Rinse under running water.
2. Fry the dried eggplant cubes for three minutes using the saute technique: not stirring with a spatula, but shaking.
3. Dice the carrots and peppers. Fry alternately.
4. Fry the vegetables in a saucepan. Add any spices. Lay out chopped tomatoes on top. They are pre-peeled.
5. Put sauté stewed for 15 minutes.
6. Add large cubes of apples. Put out three minutes. Remove the stewpan from the stove, let the dish brew for ten minutes.

We change technology

The secret to cooking sautéed eggplant and tomato lies in a special technology. But who said that changing it a little is impossible to get a tasty dish? Sure you may! The main rule is that vegetables in a sauté should not fall apart like in a stew. It is important to pre-fry them and not stir with a spatula to maintain their shape, but where they will “reach” is not important. Cook the sauté in the oven or in the slow cooker, and make sure that it turns out no worse than in the sauté pan.

Making in a slow cooker ...

Description. To cook sautéed eggplant in a slow cooker, vegetables must first be fried. You can do this right in the bowl of the "assistant", but be sure to fry the components separately, and then combine and put out.

Ingredients:

• blue - three young fruits;
• zucchini - two small;
• tomatoes - two large;
• carrots - two medium root vegetables;
• onion - one large onion;
• sweet pepper - two pieces;
• basil, mint, cilantro - a pair of twigs;
• garlic, spices - to taste;
• Sunflower oil (refined) - for frying.

Stages

1. Blue cut into circles. Remove bitterness by soaking in salted water (hold for 30 minutes).
2. Cut zucchini in the same way as blue ones. Chop the carrot into strips, cut the pepper and onion in half rings.
3. Fry vegetables individually in a slow cooker. It is enough that they “grabbed”, you do not need to wait for readiness.
4. Pour boiling water over the tomatoes. Peel, cut into slices.
5. Put all the vegetables in a multicooker bowl. Add spices, but do not mix the layers. Select the "Extinguishing" mode, insert 20 minutes on the timer.
6. Grind garlic, herbs. Add everything to the bowl after the signal to indicate the end of cooking. Turn off the appliance, leave the sauté in a closed multicooker for ten minutes: this way the dish is saturated with the aromas of greenery.

... and in the oven

Description. The recipe for eggplant sauté in the oven suggests that all the ingredients will be fried first. It is necessary to fry separately, without stirring with a spatula, with a minimum amount of oil and literally in a couple of minutes - this is how the juice “seals” in vegetables and the shape of the pieces is preserved.

Ingredients:

• blue ones - three pieces;
• champignons - 300 g;
• carrots - one large;
• bell pepper - two different colors;
• shallots - four pieces;
• tomatoes - three large;
• greens - to choose from;
• garlic, spices - optional;
• Refined oil - by eye.

Stages

1. Cut the little blue circles. Pour with salt and water for 30 minutes.
2. Cut the mushrooms into slices, carrots into slices, pepper into strips, onions into rings.
3. Fry the blanks in turn, shaking the pan. Spread each fried ingredient in a separate plate, covered with a paper towel. It will take away excess oil, sauté will not be greasy.
4. Pour boiling water over the tomatoes. Remove the peel, chop coarsely, and let it sit in a frying pan. You can add garlic.
5. Fold the vegetables in a baking dish in layers. Top should be tomatoes. Send to the oven, preheated to 180 ° C, for about 25-35 minutes.
6. If there is a “grill” function in the oven, at the end of cooking, turn on literally for three to four minutes, so that the excess liquid “leaves” and the vegetables “seize” with a pleasant crust.

Sautéed with eggplant - a seasonal dish.Of course, the little blue can be found in the supermarket in the winter, but they have a different taste, and the benefits of such vegetables are doubtful. If you want to enjoy a delicious sauté in the winter - freeze the blue ones. Everything is simple: cut the eggplants into cubes or round pieces, fry them, put them on a cutting board in a row and freeze them. Store in bags with a Zip-lock, but be sure to check that air does not enter the bag before sending it for storage.

Another option to enjoy a delicious snack in the winter is to roll a vegetable sauté with eggplant in jars. Prepare a dish according to the classic recipe (only increase the number of ingredients) and roll it up. Although sauté is cooked without vinegar, it is stored for a long time: garlic and acid from tomatoes ensure preservation. The only condition is that the jars and lids must be sterilized.

Reviews: “I didn’t eat anything tastier”

I love sauté very much. In winter I bought Hortex frozen, now we’ll eat ours))) Only the tomatoes were not very ripe, I didn’t want them to ferment during cooking. It turned out beauty and delicious!

Krasilnikova, https: // gotovim-doma. com / forum / viewtopic. php? t = 23575

At this time of the year, my family has a favorite dish (except meat, of course) sautéed eggplant with tomatoes. Try it might like it. The dish is tastier cold, you can make a sandwich - bread and butter and sauté on top.

Olga B, https: // www. lepestok. kharkov. ua / forum / viewtopic. php? t = 1469

Everything is cut into cubes and from spices only bay leaf and black pepper (well, plus salt) .. tastier, I just didn’t eat anything !! - and so many times I tried to find a substitute out of harm, and really - it’s much tastier in the cold form (you can’t cut the blue skin off in any case - it adds a very spicy bitterness), well, for tasty you need to add a little sweetener, it is needed there for sure! I don’t add any grass - it pulls all that balance over itself, but this is only my opinion, but I insist on it.

Matryoshka, https://forumonti.com/threads/4323

Other vegetable recipes