Prevent Cut Eggplant From Discoloring

A common problem with the aubergine / eggplant / brinjal is that it begins to turn brown on slicing.

This is actually a good sign as it signals the presence of powerful antioxidants in the eggplant.

Good signs are all fine, but you don’t want your dish to look a muddy shade, do you?

Here’s a simple tip to prevent cut eggplant from discoloring. This has the added effect of reducing its bitterness.

Keep a large bowl of water at room temperature handy, with a teaspoon of salt dissolved in it. The volume of water should be enough for all the eggplant slices to dip in fully.

As soon as you slice the eggplant, transfer the slices into the salted water.

Let the eggplant stand in water for 20 minutes. The water will turn brown as the eggplant slices release their dark color.

After 20 minutes, drain and wash the eggplannt slices well. Pat dry – the eggplant is now ready to be used in your dish, without brown tinge or bitter taste.

Notes:

The problem of bitterness and discoloration is more pronounced with the small varieties of aubergine / eggplant / brinjal – the large bharta baingan seems to do fine and even without this pre-cooking treatment.

Small eggplant recipe suggestions:

So you have treated the eggplant so that it can retain its bright color and shed its bitter notes. How do you cook it?

Here are a few recipes for you to check out: