Cooking eggplants in the microwave whole is a quick and beneficial method – in terms of energy savings and consequently also economic – to obtain a soft and perfectly cooked eggplant pulp, like the one needed to make eggplant croquettes, eggplant pesto or delicious sauces like melitzanosalata or babaganoush or even eggplant gateau. Without the microwave, to obtain a soft eggplant pulp without absorbed water, you would need to bake the eggplants in the oven at 392°F for almost an hour. In contrast, cooking eggplants in the microwave requires only 20 minutes at maximum power: a great saving of time, money, and energy, not to mention that in summer, turning on the oven is never a pleasure! Microwave-cooked eggplants are also very easy to peel: once cooked, simply let them rest in the turned-off microwave for 5-10 minutes, cut off the stem, and the skin will come off effortlessly. Alternatively, you can cut them in half and scoop them out with a spoon. Before microwaving the eggplants, remember to pierce them well with a fork to allow the steam to escape and to avoid the remote but possible chance of them exploding and messing up the oven.
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- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Very cheap
- Rest time: 10 Minutes
- Preparation time: 5 Minutes
- Portions: 3 People
- Cooking methods: Microwave
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients for Microwave-Cooked Eggplants
- 2 black oval eggplants (about 1 lb each)
Tools
- 1 Microwave oven
- 1 Plate large suitable for microwave cooking
- 1 Fork
- 1 Knife
- 1 Spoon
How to Cook Eggplants in the Microwave for Meatballs, Pestos, Sauces…
To cook the eggplants in the microwave, first wash and dry them well. Place them on a microwave-safe plate or directly on the microwave turntable. Pierce them here and there on their surface with a fork.
Cook the eggplants in the microwave at 800 W for 20 minutes, then leave them in the turned-off oven for 5 minutes. If your microwave does not reach 800 W, cook them at 700 W for 26 minutes.
These cooking times are ideal for medium-large eggplants weighing about 1 lb each. For smaller eggplants, 16-17 minutes will suffice, while for larger eggplants, you will need to increase the cooking time to 22-23 minutes.
At the end of cooking, it is always good to check the eggplants by pricking them with a fork, which should easily sink into the pulp. Note that the area near the stem is usually a bit harder.
After allowing the eggplants to rest and checking that they are cooked to the right degree, take them out and let them cool enough to handle without burning yourself.
Now you have two options to obtain the eggplant pulp: the first method is to cut off the stalk and, with the help of a knife, peel them by pulling away the skin which will come off very easily.
Alternatively, you can cut them in half lengthwise – always after cutting off the stem – and scoop them out with a spoon. In this case too, the pulp will separate from the eggplants effortlessly and with minimal waste.
Now the microwave-cooked eggplants are ready to be used in your recipes. Usually, since eggplants contain a lot of water, it’s good to remove some by pressing the chopped pulp through a colander with the back of a spoon
Storage
The cooked eggplant pulp can be stored in the refrigerator in a glass jar for a couple of days.
FAQ (Questions and Answers)
What if I need to cook only one eggplant?
Cooking time and method remain the same, provided the single eggplant weighs approximately 1 lb. For different weights, you have to adjust a little by trial, extending or reducing the time by 2-3 minutes and checking with a fork at the end of cooking.
Cooking time and method remain the same, provided the single eggplant weighs approximately 1 lb. For different weights, you have to adjust a little by trial, extending or reducing the time by 2-3 minutes and checking with a fork at the end of cooking.
