Do you say eggplant or aubergine? This is one of those topics that can generate a heated dinner party discussion.
I say eggplant. But feel free to substitute aubergine in your head if it makes you happy.
And I do love a good eggplant dish. This weekend I have been enjoying this versatile fruit (yes, it has seeds which classifies it as a fruit) in a variety of tasty ways. There are just so many ways you can cook with it, including:
- Stuffed
- Baked
- Fried, barbecued or grilled (then used as you wish – I love it in this warm salad with preserved lemons – pictured)
- Stir-fried (one of my favourite dishes when I was studying in China was an eggplant and garlic dish)
- Steamed
- In casseroles
- In curries (one of my favourite curries features pumpkin and eggplant – it is to die for!)
- To replace toast (eggs on grilled eggplant slices) or lasagne noodles (layer eggplant slices)
- In dips (as in baba ganoush)
If you’ve never cooked with eggplant before, this is how it can be prepared to reduce bitterness and reduce the amount of oil they soak up in cooking.
The humble eggplant has some fabulous Traditional Chinese Medicine therapeutic uses including:
- Clears heat from the blood (e.g. red rashes, heavy menstrual bleeding , haemorrhoids or bleeding disorders in general).
- Moves blood, harmonises the Liver and the Uterus (e.g. painful periods, irregular periods or clotted menstrual blood).
- Reduces swelling and eases pain (e.g. premenstrual oedema, breast tenderness or mastitis).
- Regulates and cools the intestines (e.g. constipation or diarrhoea where the stool is smelly and the patient feels hot or experiences burning sensations).
- May be soothing for someone repressing emotions (e.g. anger, frustration, irritation and resentment).
Just a note, if you do suffer from menstrual or bleeding disorders these should be discussed with your health professional for appropriate investigations and treatment options.
Have you got a favorite eggplant recipe?
To book an appointment at the clinic or further information on Chinese Medicine contact Dr Sarah George (Acupuncture). Sarah is a practitioner of acupuncture (AHPRA registered), massage therapy and natural health.
