How to select eggplant(Brinjal/aubergines)when you go for buying it?

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1. The stem and cap of the eggplant should be bright green. It should not be dried. You should see its stem and cap it should not be very thin in ratio with size of the eggplant bulb…
2. Check the cap of stem and the bulb contact of eggplant, generally worms penetrate from this area .
3.  Avoid buying eggplant in rainy season as it comes with lots of worms in it. In south Asian countries eggplant tastes better in winters.
4.  Choose the eggplant that are firm and their skin should be smooth and shiny . weight of egg plant should be light as compare to their size. This indicates that it has less seeds . the eggplant which have lots of hard seed taste bad..If the eggplant is soft and have wrinkles on it  indicates that it is the older one …older eggplant have more bitter taste and their shelf life is less.
5.  Egg plant looks hardy but actually they are very perishable. They r sensitive to both heat and cold and should be ideally stores in 8-10 degree Celsius. Do not cut the eggplant while storing as it perishes quickly as its skin punctured. Store it in crisper of refrigerator.

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   Instruction to follow while cooking eggplant

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1. Use  stainless steel knife  to cut eggplant .
2. If you find that there is some itchy sensation while cutting eggplant, put it in salt water and keep it for 10- 15 minutes.
3. Never keep egg plant for a long time after dicing it ..it turns out black very faste . Marinate it with a pinch of turmeric and little oil. 
4. Avoid cooking eggplant with tomatoes as it takes long time for eggplant to get cook with tomatoes. but eggplant taste really good with tomato so either cook them separately and then combine it or add tomatoes in egg plant when its already cooked ..
5. Avoid eggplant and milk to cook together as in ayurveda its said to be virudha ana  i.e. not to be eat together  

There are lots of ways to cook eggplant … kids generally  love eggplant wedges in different forms …roasted  eggplant goes very well with green onion and garlic , the other way of cooking this roasted eggplant is with onion and tomatoes with lots spices .. The one recipe which I and my family loves is stuffed eggplant with crushed peanut and coconut either in dried or gravy form.

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How to roast eggplant so it will give best smoky flavor

Roasted eggplant recipe with green onions and garlic(vangych bharith)

Roasted eggplant with onion tomatoes(baingan bhartha)

Roasted grilled eggplant salad with kidney beans (microwave recipe)

Eggplant wedges (baked)(microwave recipe)

Eggplant wedges with chickpea flour (baked) (microwave recipe)

Eggplant with onion tomato gravy

Stuffed eggplant with peanuts  and dry coconut gravy (bharli vangi)(microwave recipe)

Stuffed eggplant with coconut gravy

Eggplant fry

Eggplant with legumes

Eggplant with rice

Eggplant with potatoes in tomato gravy

Eggplant with chickpeas