I don’t own a grill. The grill where you can do your barbeques and make paneer tikka and garlic bread? Yeah, I don’t have that. Not even an anti-social sized one that helps me make portions enough for two. And before you ask, no, my microwave does not come with a grill.
But, does that stop me from grilling? Hell no! Being a self-confessed eggplant lover, how can I not grill it and make those yummy grilled eggplant recipes?
So I got an eggplant one Saturday.
It was nice and fresh and fat when I bought it on this particular Saturday. Unfortunately, I didn’t use it for a whole week and when I took it out the next Saturday morning, it had slightly begun to wilt and rot at the stalk. Just slightly though.
That’s ok. Just chop off a bit from the stalk part and place it on a plate.
Stick a thick wooden skewer or slim spoon or something similar through the middle of the cut portion.
Take 1 tsp oil and coat the eggplant well. Go on, don’t be a wuss and use your hand to do the oil massage.
Switch on your stove and keep it on low fire. Hold the wooden skewer firmly and place the oiled eggplant near the fire. Keep rotating slowly making sure all the sides get even heat.
The skin will being to shrivel and the skin starts getting charred. Make sure no sides burn by evenly distributing the heat.
Place on a plate and let it cool a bit.
Peel the charred skin and remove completely. The resulting eggplant meat will be soft, semi-cooked and very fragrant because of the stove-top grilling.
We can make a bunch of interesting stuff with grilled eggplant. Watch this space for the recipes 🙂
Mmmm looks good and I too do the same .. nice pictures..
Parita, you hold the eggplant in your hand while grilling?! wow that sounds scary! how do you prevent your hands from getting burnt?
nice pics.. I am loving your step-by-step series. Really appreciate all the effort you are putting into this.
I use both the methods grill as well as stove top…Infact I even prick it with fork well and do oil massage before grilling,….after grilling immerse it in cold water..it makes the peeling job easier…try doing that next time dear
I too do the same way,stove top method 🙂
We don't even have a gas stove here (it's electric range) so I broil it in the oven. Apply oil and cut it in half. Place the skin side down on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil and spray some oil on the open side too. Bake it at 350 for 25-30 minutes and then broil it for 5 minutes to get that black charred appearance. I do this when I'm baking something else in the oven. So 2 in 1. Then use a spoon to just scoop the pulp out.
The step by step pictures are great. Could you do one like this for making white sauce?
Even I prepared the eggplant for begun bharta in a similar way. Once I tried to grill it in the MW, and it was awful, the egg plant got totally dried up, my thick and healthy looking aubergine turned to a thin and dried up one 🙁
Ah, now I can associate eggplants and lollipops together! I used to stick a fork in it until I found some device that's like a fan with a steel plate full of holes on a wooden stick – now I put that on the flame and the brinjal on that.
And like your expression 'anti-social sized one'. Nice pix of the gleaming and oiled eggplants!
Hey Nags, thanks for your message. I've been following both your blogs for quite sometime. I tried the veg biryani recipe from here and just loved it. I had left a message there long back too!
We had a grill party last weekend and grilled sliced eggplants. It tasted awesome:)Waiting for recipes with grilled eggplant
Wow super idea! Will try this one. Iam sure stove top is more efficient and faster than in an oven
compared to last 2-3 months the snaps you are uploading are amazing Nags.. 🙂
superb job.. 🙂
Eggplants can ooze a lot when char grilled like this, so I always line the are around the burner with a tin foil. Keeps the stove top clean and clean up is a cinch!
Sounds easy and yummy as well. Waiting for your recipes!
compared to last 2-3 months the snaps you are uploading are amazing Nags.. 🙂
superb job.. 🙂
I also do use the stove top method, but use skewers instead for rotating. Earlier i had a small toaster, was lot better, as stove top needs a lot of cleaning afterwards.
And also i give a small slit before roasting…
hehehehe 😀 It does look a bit funny Soma :d
I don't know why I laughed & laughed seeing that stick poked into an eggplant:-D I make slits & make the entire thing sit on the frame of stove top & rotate it occasionally. I like the smell of fire grilled so don't like to use the oven.
nice post nags very help full for new cooks great job dear.
yep this method takes barely 10-12 mins, thats exactly why I use the stove top to grill my eggplants & I love the smell too But I never used a wooden skewer .. clever idea
Cool Idea Nags!Never occurred to me you could stick a stick in it:D Well, I just turn it with skewers!
Bong Mom – See, that takes an hour! this method barely takes 10-12 mins 🙂
I knew the pics will be great when I saw the title 🙂 I grill bell peppers on the stove when I just have to do one or two. I use the oven for more. Love the skewer idea,I normally use a tong or a fork.
I do it same way but with out inserting the stick…Thats a clever idea of inserting a wooden stick and then roasting the eggplant :)Will try now…
Wow super idea! Will try this one. Iam sure stove top is more efficient and faster than in an oven
That is a cool method for grilling especially for those who don't have a grill, excellent!
Wow looks very techie kind.
Can't you just put it in the oven and forget about it ? I make slits, pour oil, salt and put in oven at broil for about an hour
Yup! I do the same while making baigan bhartha etc. it does make my stove messy though and hate the cleaning up after! The stick is a smart idea. Microwave grills never worked for me…not sure if I am missing something ..but have never managed a 'grill effect' in a m'wave!!
Thats a clever idea of inserting a wooden stick and then roasting the eggplant 🙂
Hey Nags, thanks for your message. I've been following both your blogs for quite sometime. I tried the veg biryani recipe from here and just loved it. I had left a message there long back too!
We had a grill party last weekend and grilled sliced eggplants. It tasted awesome:)Waiting for recipes with grilled eggplant
Ah, now I can associate eggplants and lollipops together! I used to stick a fork in it until I found some device that's like a fan with a steel plate full of holes on a wooden stick – now I put that on the flame and the brinjal on that.
And like your expression 'anti-social sized one'. Nice pix of the gleaming and oiled eggplants!
Good! am going to give this in my blog's how to link.. 🙂
Nice pictures Nag..I usually roast with the help of my fork inserted ….will remember this tip while roasting my brinjal next time:)
Even I prepared the eggplant for begun bharta in a similar way. Once I tried to grill it in the MW, and it was awful, the egg plant got totally dried up, my thick and healthy looking aubergine turned to a thin and dried up one 🙁
The step by step pictures are great. Could you do one like this for making white sauce?
Nags – Looks awesome! I love the wuss part and I'm with you on that!
Perfect for Baingan Bharta! Love it!
Your step by step pictures and notes are awesome 🙂
I use the same method to grill the eggplant but keep the stalk and crown intact. I also line the stove with aluminium foil to save the oil that seeps out and use it when making Bhaingan Bhartha – flavors it better 🙂
We don't even have a gas stove here (it's electric range) so I broil it in the oven. Apply oil and cut it in half. Place the skin side down on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil and spray some oil on the open side too. Bake it at 350 for 25-30 minutes and then broil it for 5 minutes to get that black charred appearance. I do this when I'm baking something else in the oven. So 2 in 1. Then use a spoon to just scoop the pulp out.
wow very nice…you step by step photo instructions are awesome…ur efforts shoul be appreciated…Great
I don't use a skewer either…..never thought of it….and never got burnt either.
oh this is a regular in the house without the skewer and mostly get transformed into bharta
I too do the same way,stove top method 🙂
I use both the methods grill as well as stove top…Infact I even prick it with fork well and do oil massage before grilling,….after grilling immerse it in cold water..it makes the peeling job easier…try doing that next time dear
I grill it with stalk intact, acts as a handle 😀 Mash it , add tamarind juice and onions!Pachi pulusu is what we call it 🙂
😀 😀 I know what's coming next, hehehe!
nice pics.. I am loving your step-by-step series. Really appreciate all the effort you are putting into this.
Parita, you hold the eggplant in your hand while grilling?! wow that sounds scary! how do you prevent your hands from getting burnt?
I do it the same way but without inserting a wooden skewer…sounds a lot easier with sweker, better than burning hands 🙂
Hmmm..interesting..:)
Mmmm looks good and I too do the same .. nice pictures..