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You are here: Home / Recipes / Microwave-Steamed Eggplant for Pizza, Sauces, Stir-Fries

Microwave-Steamed Eggplant for Pizza, Sauces, Stir-Fries

August 31, 2018 by Linda Watson Leave a Comment

Microwave-Steamed Eggplant for Pizza, Sauces, Stir-Fries

Steam eggplant for a fat-free, silky pizza topping or to enrich stir-fries, tomato sauces, and many other dishes. (No microwave? See notes for a stovetop version.) Enhance and stretch your recipes for just 50 cents a serving using organic ingredients!

I started playing with this idea when my friend Laura told me a trick she’d learned from one of our favorite cookbook writers, Madhur Jaffrey: steam the eggplant before stir-frying. Madhur roll-cuts her eggplant then steams it in a wok for 15 to 17 minutes.

With my faster, greener, less authentic recipe, you cut the eggplant into smaller cubes and microwave it for only 5 minutes. You also save calories and money by avoiding the oil needed to fry it, sauté it, or even grill it. Then just toss in in a sauce, like the Spicy Peanut Sauce shown above, and you have a restaurant-quality dish that’s good for you and your budget.

It’s a terrific choice for Meatless Mondays. If not everyone at the table loves eggplant, this technique makes it easy to divide and delight. Eggplant lovers like me who rarely cook it because of the trouble involved can now enjoy it even on a busy weeknight. Eggplant skeptics who have only had heavy, even greasy breaded and fried eggplant may reconsider once they try a bite.

Print Recipe
Microwave-Steamed Eggplant for Pizza, Sauces, Stir-Fries
Steam eggplant cubes to dress with a sauce or stir into other recipes. Vegan, gluten-free, oil-free.
Eggplant in spicy peanut sauce garnished with fresh basil
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Prep Time 5 minutes
Passive Time 7 minutes
Servings
servings
Ingredients
  • 1 pound eggplant 454 grams
Prep Time 5 minutes
Passive Time 7 minutes
Servings
servings
Ingredients
  • 1 pound eggplant 454 grams
Eggplant in spicy peanut sauce garnished with fresh basil
Votes: 0
Rating: 0
You:
Rate this recipe!
Instructions
  1. Use a sharp knife or vegetable peeler to peel eggplant, then cut into half-inch cubes.
    steps in cutting eggplant
  2. Put eggplant into a microwave-safe container, cover, and cook on high for about five minutes. Leave the cover on while it finishes steaming for two more minutes.
  3. Stir eggplant and test a few cubes for doneness. They should all be fork-tender. If you're not sure, steam it a little more. Undercooked eggplant is rubbery.
Recipe Notes
  • Steamed eggplant isn't a solo act, but it enhances many saucy recipes. Try it with a few shots of your favorite hot sauce or use steamed eggplant in these recipes from Wildly Affordable Organic:
    • In Good Tomato Sauce (page 171) or Tomato Sauce with Bell Peppers and Onions (page 172)
    • With Spicy Peanut Sauce (page 175), either with other seasonal vegetables and noodles or solo over rice
    • As a pizza topping (page 187) for Pizza (page 183) or Speedy Grilled Pizza (page 189)
  • To steam eggplant on the stovetop: put about a half-inch of water in a medium pot, a steamer basket in the pot, and the eggplant cubes in the steamer. Cover the pot, bring the water to a boil over high heat, and then reduce heat so water stays at a low boil. Steam for four minutes, then turn off heat but leave the pot on the hot burner for three more minutes.

Nutritional Information for Steamed Eggplant

The nutrition label is for one serving.

Nutrition Facts
Microwave-Steamed Eggplant for Pizza, Sauces, Stir-Fries
Amount Per Serving
Calories 27 Calories from Fat 2
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 0.2g 0%
Saturated Fat 0.04g 0%
Polyunsaturated Fat 0.1g
Monounsaturated Fat 0.02g
Sodium 2mg 0%
Potassium 261mg 7%
Total Carbohydrates 6g 2%
Dietary Fiber 4g 16%
Sugars 3g
Protein 1g 2%
Vitamin A 0.5%
Vitamin C 4%
Calcium 1%
Iron 1%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Filed Under: Core, Recipe Tagged With: eggplant, gluten-free, microwave, oil-free, summer, vegan

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