Eggplant: Not Just a Sexy Emoji!
Eggplant, also known by names such as aubergine, garden egg, melongene, and brinjal is a bountiful summer garden producer that is often egg-shaped and usually a beautiful, shiny, deep purple color. This nutritional giant is often found in traditional Mediterranean cuisine.
The eggplant is a rich vegetable (actually a fruit) that when cooked, caramelizes giving it a sweet taste. It literally melts in your mouth. Although Greeks have plenty of eggplant recipes, the Mediterranean in general is known for its love of eggplant, and there is an abundance of traditional recipes to choose from.
Nutrition
One cup of cooked eggplant, weighing around 99 grams (g) contains:
- 35 calories
- 0.82 g of protein
- 8.64 g of carbohydrate, of which 3.17 g is sugars
- 0.23 g of fat
- 2.5 g of dietary fiber
- 188 milligrams (mg) of potassium
- 6 mg of calcium
- 1 mg of sodium
- 0.12 mg of zinc
- 1.3 mg of vitamin C
- 0.25 mg of iron
- 11 mg of magnesium
- 15 mg of phosphorus
- 14 micrograms (mcg) of folate
- 85 mcg of vitamin B6
- 2.9 mcg of vitamin K
Eggplant also contains flavonoids, such as anthocyanins. Anthocyanins are water-soluble pigments that have many health benefits. They also help give the eggplant its well-known, dark purple color.
The skin of the eggplant is rich in antioxidants, fiber, potassium, and magnesium. The phenolic content of eggplant makes it such a potent free radical scavenger that this vegetable is ranked among the top 10 vegetables regarding oxygen radical absorbance capacity.
Our extensive Mediterranean menu features eggplant in dishes like our favorite baba ganoush dip made with grilled eggplant, pomegranate juice, tahini, lemon juice, garlic, and spices. Also, moussaka, a lasagna-like dish of eggplant cooked with beef and potatoes, and eggplant parmesan are favorites among our customers. Our eggplant dishes are fresh, preservative free and either baked or fried in zero trans-fat oils, delivering tasty and healthy dishes in the tradition of Paymon’s Mediterranean Restaurant and Lounge.
