Tender, mild and sweet with a touch of bitterness, the flavor of eggplant is close to summer squash and zucchini. This nightshade vegetable is very flexible and interchangeable when it comes to flavor since the absorbance level is high.
Typically, not served raw due to its rubbery, bland, and bitter flavor. Therefore, various cooking technique are used such as bake, boil, braise, broil, deep-fry, grill, roast, sauté, steam, deep-fry, and stuff.
What to eat with eggplant? Eggplant tastes best when cooked with specific ingredients such as anchovies, basil, bell peppers, bread crumbs, cheese, chili peppers, cilantro, cinnamon, garlic, ginger, lemon juice, miso, olive oil, parsley, pepper, rosemary, tahini, thyme, sesame oil or seeds, vinegar, yogurt, and zucchini.
When it comes to cheese, consider parmesan, ricotta, ricotta salata for best flavor in recipes.
Other than eggplant pasta or parmesan, this vegetable can be used in hummus, sandwich, salad, burgers, ratatouille, and hearty moussaka.
To make eggplant flavor richer and meatier, add miso or tahini to boost the intensity to the next level.
Eggplant enjoys spice and has a tangy and bittersweet aroma that makes meals tasty and delightful. In addition, the sour taste in eggplant combines well with other vegetables.
Thanks to its flavor profile, eggplant is an ingredient that should not be left out of the kitchen. But what are the excellent foods to pair with eggplant? Well, read till the end to learn more!
What goes well with eggplant?
Eggplant is widely served with meatballs, garlic bread, noodles and rice dishes. However, pairing with the right ingredients is the key to successful flavor combos and a delightful culinary experience.
- Spices: allspice, cayenne, chili powder, cinnamon, coriander, cumin, curry, garam masala, red pepper flakes, saffron, garlic, ginger
- Herbs: basil, chives, cilantro, mint, oregano, parsley, rosemary, sage, thyme
- Bread: crumbs, pita
- Nuts: cashews, pine nuts, walnuts
- Cheese: Emmental, feta, goat, gruyere, mozzarella, parmesan, ricotta, ricotta salata, romano, swiss
- Rice: white, brown, basmati, jasmine, wild
- Legumes: chickpeas, lentils
- Condiments: coconut milk, honey, miso, dijon mustard, soy sauce, sugar, tahini, tamara
- Seeds: fennel, sesame
- Fruits: lemon, pomegranates
- Oil: peanut, sesame, olive
- Cured meats: prosciutto
- Vinegar: balsamic, champagne, red wine, rice, sherry
What meat goes good with eggplant?
To make a whole balanced meal, adding protein to an eggplant dish or combining into a main entree is quite important. Furthermore, eggplant has a mild flavor that tends to marry well with the following meat types:
- Lamb: Stuffed eggplant gives lamb meat a sweet fragrance for an unforgettable experience.
- Beef: Whether in steaks, minced or grilled, eggplant always suits beef treat. It’ll, without a doubt, leave you yearning for more.
- Chicken: Fluffy eggplant and roast chicken is a treat not to miss.
- Pork: Tender pork calls for a delicate spice to flavor the dish. Eggplant has a sweet, sour taste that does the trick.
- Sausage: With or without sauce, eggplant and sausage is a great mixture to blend with mozzarella and tomatoes sauce to make a quick meal.
What vegetables go well with eggplant?
Sliced or stir-fried, eggplant pairs perfectly with lot of different vegetables. For that extra crunch, be sure to serve it with tender root vegetables.
From mushrooms to potatoes, here are an excellent vegetable pairing to try with eggplant:
- artichokes
- bell peppers, especially green and red
- green cabbage
- fennel
- mushrooms, especially button and shiitake
- olives, especially black and green
- onions, especially red, Spanish, yellow
- potatoes, especially yukon gold, fingerling
- shallots
- squash
- tomatoes
- zucchini
What flavor goes well with eggplant?
Eggplant pairs perfectly with subtle, sweet, and earthy flavors. For starters, basil, chili, ginger, nutmeg, and cinnamon are great herbs and spices to cook with, and adding lentils helps to boost the protein in the dish.
No matter how you prepare eggplant, here are classic flavor combinations to serve with using basic ingredients:
- eggplant + basil + bell peppers + garlic + tomatoes
- eggplant + basil + mozzarella cheese
- eggplant + basil + olive oil + balsamic vinegar
- eggplant + basil + ricotta salata cheese + tomatoes
- eggplant + bell peppers + garlic + mustard
- eggplant + garlic + lemon juice + olive oil + parsley + tahini
- eggplant + garlic + onions + parsley
- eggplant + lentils + yogurt
Eat with Eggplant: Conclusion
Eggplant is a superfood that compliments well in a variety of recipes. It works well as a main course veggie side dish, snacks, and appetizer.
Serve eggplant in baba ghanoush, hummus, sandwich, salad, burgers, ratatouille, and moussaka. Be creative to utilize the right cooking techniques to bake, broil, braise, stir-fry, sauce, roast or fry when preparing eggplant.
When it comes to meat, serve with lamb, beef, chicken, pork, and sausage for optimal results. To fill the recipe with fiber and vitamins, mix with artichokes, cabbage, fennel, onions, zucchini, mushrooms, squash, and bell peppers.
There’s no limitation on what you can do when it comes to eggplant. The possible pairings shared in this guide are endless, so be sure to go all out and experiment with different dishes.