Easy Eggplant Recipe (One-Pan Dinner) - Alyona’s Cooking (2024)

Wondering what to make with eggplant? This quick and easy pan-fried eggplant recipe is a one pan meal that’s delicious! Packed with veggies and grain it’s healthy and super tasty! Make this easy eggplant recipe!

Easy Eggplant Recipe (One-Pan Dinner) - Alyona’s Cooking (1)

This post may contain affiliate links. Read our full disclosure.

This is the ultimate eggplant recipe to have! Made from basic ingredients and cooked in one-pot, this EASY eggplant recipe can be served SO many ways! It goes as a meal alone, side, spread, salad–you name it! Delicious HOT or COLD!

Perhaps this can even make a good canning recipe! I’m loving this easy eggplant recipe! Altered from Sveta’s Recipes this vegetable blend eggplant dish comes together easily and requires just some stirring once it hits the skillet. My mother-in-law has made it numerous times this past month and it’s probably because this eggplant recipe is quick and tasty to put together. It’s one of those dishes you could enjoy eating cold or hot.

The skillet roasted method creates creamy eggplant chunks and the rice gives a nice little boost of texture to the pillowy soft veggies. The ultimate eggplant recipe to have because it consists of basic ingredients and tastes, “eating out of the spoon DELICIOUS”!

Easy Eggplant Recipe (One-Pan Dinner) - Alyona’s Cooking (2)

INGREDIENTS for easy eggplant recipe:
  • 3 small eggplants, cut into chunks
  • 4 medium sized tomatoes, diced
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 1 garlic clove, crushed
  • 2 large red peppers, cut into chunks
  • 2 carrots, grated
  • 1 1/2 TBSP vinegar
  • 1 1/2 TBSP salt
  • 1 1/2 TBSP sugar
  • 1/3 cup olive oil
  • 2/3 cup uncooked white rice (jasmine or Botan Calrose Rice)

NOTE: Add 2 jalapeno peppers to make it on the spicy side.

Easy Eggplant Recipe (One-Pan Dinner) - Alyona’s Cooking (3)

How to make this easy eggplant recipe:

1. Combine all the ingredients into a deep non-stick skillet or pot. Bring to a boil over high heat and boil 8 minutes, stirring often.

2. Then reduce the heat to low, cover with a lid, and simmer for 30 minutes mixing occasionally. The mixture should darken in color and veggies should be very soft.

3. Serve warm or cold. Keep refrigerated.

Easy Eggplant Recipe (One-Pan Dinner) - Alyona’s Cooking (4)

DO YOU HAVE TO PEEL EGGPLANT BEFORE YOU COOK IT?

No, but it is said that the skins on an older and bigger eggplant become more bitter so it is best to eat the skins on smaller (younger) eggplants. The skins should get tender during the cooking stage so it’s really a matter of preference and how much dark texture you want to see in your dish.

IS SALTING THE EGGPLANTS REQUIRED BEFORE COOKING?

No, but it supposedly helps with the bitterness by releasing its natural juices after the addition of salt. If choosing to salt before using, some draining, rinsing, and patting dry is required and in my opinion, that’s an extra procedure to be doing so to avoid bitter-tasting eggplants opt for smaller ones (younger) at the store.

HOW DO YOU COOK AN EGGPLANT?

There are SO many ways to cook eggplants. They could be baked (hollowed out and stuffed with meat, rice or other fillings) stewed, fried, roasted, pickled, grilled, and pan-fried. They do contain 92% of water and are capable of absorbing large amounts of cooking fat and sauces, making for some rich dishes.

Easy Eggplant Recipe (One-Pan Dinner) - Alyona’s Cooking (5)

PrintRatePin

Easy Eggplant Recipe

Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 38 minutes minutes

Total Time: 58 minutes minutes

Servings: 8 servings

Author: Alyona Demyanchuk

This is an easy eggplant recipe to have using a melody of fresh vegetables! It's such a simple dish cooked in one pot and can be served in so many ways, including as a meal alone, a side dish, tasty spread, or cold salad--you name it! Delicious HOT or COLD!

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 lbs eggplants (3 small eggplants, cut into chunks)

  • 1 1/2 lbs tomatoes (4 medium sized, diced)

  • 1 onion (diced)

  • 1 clove garlic (crushed)

  • 2 large red bell peppers (cut into chunks)

  • 2 carrots (grated)

  • 1 1/2 TBSP white distilled vinegar

  • 1 1/2 TBSP salt

  • 1 1/2 TBSP granulated sugar

  • 1/3 cup olive oil

  • 2/3 cup white rice (jasmine rice or short-grain white rice)

  • 2 Jalapeno peppers* (diced)

Instructions

  • Combine all the ingredients into a deep non-stick skillet or pot. Bring to a boil over high heat and boil 8 minutes, stirring often.

  • Reduce heat to low, cover with a lid and simmer for 30 minutes mixing occasionally. The mixture should darken in color and veggies should be very soft.

  • Serve warm or cold. Keep refrigerated.

Notes

Jalapeno peppers are optional if you like mild heat.

Nutrition per serving

Serving: 1servingCalories: 206kcalCarbohydrates: 28gProtein: 3gFat: 10gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 7gSodium: 1328mgPotassium: 580mgFiber: 5gSugar: 11gVitamin A: 4597IUVitamin C: 72mgCalcium: 34mgIron: 1mg

Easy Eggplant Recipe (One-Pan Dinner) - Alyona’s Cooking (6)

New Be featured here!

Hashtag #yesalyonascooking on both Instagram and Pinterest to be seen here!

Categories

  • Quick Dinners
  • Side Dishes

Leave a comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

111 comments

  • Easy Eggplant Recipe (One-Pan Dinner) - Alyona’s Cooking (7)

    • Sherry

    I have made this about 3 times. Delicious. Even our teen grandchildren liked it. They kept saying to a sibling, try it, it’s good. Sounding slightly surprised.😜. I love that I have all the ingredients and it’s stinking easy. Thanks for this recipe.

    • Reply
  • Easy Eggplant Recipe (One-Pan Dinner) - Alyona’s Cooking (8)

    • Lydia McCollum

    I made this recipe today with eggplant, peppers and tomatoes from our garden and it was delicious! It was easy to prepare and my husband said it’s a keeper. He even said he’d choose it over eggplant parmesan I made last week!

    • Reply
    • Easy Eggplant Recipe (One-Pan Dinner) - Alyona’s Cooking (9)

      • Alyona Demyanchuk

      That’s wonderful! I’m happy you enjoyed the dish!

      • Reply
  • Easy Eggplant Recipe (One-Pan Dinner) - Alyona’s Cooking (10)

    • Martha Adamd

    I was very skeptical of this dish, but it turned out really good. A good summertime dish and it was so easy to prepare

    • Reply
    • Easy Eggplant Recipe (One-Pan Dinner) - Alyona’s Cooking (11)

      • Alyona Demyanchuk

      Happy to hear that, Martha.

      • Reply
  • Easy Eggplant Recipe (One-Pan Dinner) - Alyona’s Cooking (12)

    • Barbara

    Absolutely delicious. I am learning to cook tasty meals and this is great. That small amount of vinegar and I added Candy Crisp Jalapenos. It added the sugar and the heat all at once. I used Rice Vinegar as I didnt have distilled and it has an asian dish flavor. Thank you.

    • Reply
    • Easy Eggplant Recipe (One-Pan Dinner) - Alyona’s Cooking (13)

      • Alyona Demyanchuk

      Interesting Barbara! Thanks for sharing!

      • Reply
  • Easy Eggplant Recipe (One-Pan Dinner) - Alyona’s Cooking (14)

    • Liz

    Great recipe! I love it. Easy to make and you can make to your own preferences.

    • Reply
    • Easy Eggplant Recipe (One-Pan Dinner) - Alyona’s Cooking (15)

      • Alyona Demyanchuk

      Wonderful, Liz!

      • Reply
  • Easy Eggplant Recipe (One-Pan Dinner) - Alyona’s Cooking (16)

    • Catalina

    Could I replace the rice for quinoa?

    • Reply
    • Easy Eggplant Recipe (One-Pan Dinner) - Alyona’s Cooking (17)

      • Alyona Demyanchuk

      I think that would be fine.

      • Reply
  • Easy Eggplant Recipe (One-Pan Dinner) - Alyona’s Cooking (18)

    • KJ HENISA

    So Good. I was a little hesitant about not sauteeing the Onions, etc first but it worked fine. I know these veggies would produce enough liquid to cook everything. I did added a pinch of cinnamon & cumin plus 1 tsp of oregano & Italian seasoning each. This could also be a main course with a protein added in. Thanks for this recipe. I get Japanese eggplants all the time at my nearby farmers market. I make a lot of mixed fresh veggie sautés .

    • Reply
    • Easy Eggplant Recipe (One-Pan Dinner) - Alyona’s Cooking (19)

      • Alyona Demyanchuk

      You are welcome, I’m happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe!

      • Reply

Show more

Easy Eggplant Recipe (One-Pan Dinner) - Alyona’s Cooking (2024)

FAQs

Easy Eggplant Recipe (One-Pan Dinner) - Alyona’s Cooking? ›

Eggplants are known to absorb a lot of fat while cooking. A useful tip to prevent sogginess and greasiness is to salt sliced or diced eggplant and let it sit for an hour. This helps to draw out moisture. Next, rinse and drain any liquid from the sliced eggplant, then pat dry before cooking.

What is the secret to cooking eggplant? ›

Eggplants are known to absorb a lot of fat while cooking. A useful tip to prevent sogginess and greasiness is to salt sliced or diced eggplant and let it sit for an hour. This helps to draw out moisture. Next, rinse and drain any liquid from the sliced eggplant, then pat dry before cooking.

Which cooking method is appropriate for eggplant? ›

The easiest and (for me) best way to cook eggplant is as follows: - using long & thin variety, cut in half lengthwise and steam on stovetop for 20-30 minutes until very tender.

Is it necessary to peel eggplant before cooking? ›

While the skin of a small young eggplant is edible, the skin becomes bitter on larger or older eggplants and should be peeled. When in doubt, the answer to, "Do you peel eggplant before cooking?" is yes, peel it. Use a vegetable peeler or paring knife to remove the skin.

What happens if you don't salt eggplant before cooking? ›

It helps draw out moisture from the eggplant. You don't have to salt eggplant though, it depends on the texture your looking for. Salting gives it a more creamy texture when cooked and not salting helps the eggplant hold up and be a little firmer after cooked.

Should you soak eggplant in milk or salt water? ›

Soak it in milk.

Soak eggplant slices or cubes in milk for about 30 minutes before cooking. The milk not only tempers the bitterness, but it actually makes for eggplant that is extra creamy, since the vegetable acts like a sponge and soaks up a good amount of milk in its flesh.

Why do you soak eggplant in vinegar? ›

Why do you soak eggplant in water and vinegar? Soaking eggplant in water and vinegar helps remove some of the vegetable's natural bitterness. This step also helps preserve some of the skin's color so it stays a vibrant purple even after cooking.

Why is eggplant bitter after cooking? ›

The white part of an eggplant, also known as the "flesh," can sometimes turn bitter when cooked due to the presence of a naturally occurring compound called solanine.

What are the 7 ways to cook eggplant? ›

You can't eat eggplant raw, but you can cook eggplant in many ways: boil, steam, sauté, stir-fry, braise, bake, deep-fry, grill, broil, and microwave.

Why is eggplant tough when cooked? ›

You mentioned that once they turned out tough and chewy: then they were not cooked fully through. Vegetables are not like meat, which turn rubbery when overcooked. They turn soft rather. Watch out for the opposite as well: Eggplants when cooked for a long time may turn mushy.

How do you get the most flavor out of eggplant? ›

Salting: One common method is salting the eggplant slices or cubes before cooking. This process helps draw out the bitter compounds and excess moisture. Here's how to do it:Slice or cube the eggplant as desired. Sprinkle salt over the eggplant pieces and let them sit for about 30 minutes.

Does eggplant need to be soaked before frying? ›

Typically eggplant behaves like a sponge, soaking up heroic amounts of oil when fried. The Terzo Piano chefs use this trick to prevent heavy aubergines: Before frying, soak the strips of eggplant in an ice water bath. They will absorb water and drop in temperature.

References

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Recommended Articles
Article information

Author: Carmelo Roob

Last Updated:

Views: 6389

Rating: 4.4 / 5 (45 voted)

Reviews: 84% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Carmelo Roob

Birthday: 1995-01-09

Address: Apt. 915 481 Sipes Cliff, New Gonzalobury, CO 80176

Phone: +6773780339780

Job: Sales Executive

Hobby: Gaming, Jogging, Rugby, Video gaming, Handball, Ice skating, Web surfing

Introduction: My name is Carmelo Roob, I am a modern, handsome, delightful, comfortable, attractive, vast, good person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.