Eggplant dish with tomatoes (Multicooker)

Name: Eggplant dish with tomatoes (Multicooker) - Timea D.
Ingredients: 2 eggplants; 4; 5 tomatoes; 1 onion; 2 cloves of garlic; salt; pepper; parsley; thyme; 1 glass of water; a little oil

Salad - Eggplant dish with tomatoes (Multicooker) by Timea D. - Recipia

Eggplant with tomatoes is easily prepared in a multicooker and doesn’t require many ingredients. First, the eggplants are salted and left to drain, then they are cooked together with onions, garlic, and a little water. The tomatoes are added later to better preserve the dish's flavor and texture. Finally, freshly added parsley and spices complete the meal. It’s a suitable vegetable recipe for a light lunch or a meatless dinner. Quick Info Preparation time: a few hours for salting and draining the eggplants, plus the time needed for peeling and chopping the vegetables Cooking time: approximately 35-45 minutes Total time: cannot be precisely determined, as the eggplants need to drain for a few hours Servings: the number of servings is not specified; the quantity is suitable for several side portions or a few main servings Difficulty: easy Recipe type: vegetable dish in a multicooker Ingredients 2 eggplants 4-5 tomatoes 1 onion 2 garlic cloves Salt Pepper Parsley Thyme 1 cup of water A little oil Preparation method 1. Prepare the eggplants Wash the eggplants and peel them alternately, leaving a strip of skin and removing the next one. Cut off the ends, then dice the eggplants. Place the cubes in a bowl, sprinkle with salt, and let them drain for a few hours. This step is part of the recipe preparation and must be followed before cooking. Once drained, the eggplants are ready for the multicooker. 2. Chop the other vegetables Peel the onion and garlic, then chop them. Dice the tomatoes. It’s not necessary for all pieces to be perfectly equal, but they should be close in size to cook evenly. 3. Sauté the onion and garlic Pour a little oil into the multicooker pot and set the Fry function for 5 minutes. Add the chopped onion and garlic. Let them cook until they soften slightly, stirring if necessary. They shouldn’t be overly browned, as they will continue to cook with the eggplants. 4. Add the eggplants and water Place the diced eggplants into the pot over the onion and garlic. Add a cup of water and stir gently. Set the device to the Stew function for 30-40 minutes and close the lid. The exact duration may vary depending on the device and the size of the eggplant pieces. 5. Add the tomatoes After about 15 minutes of cooking, open the lid and add the diced tomatoes. Close the lid again and let the dish continue cooking on the Stew function. The tomatoes are added halfway through the cooking time, not at the beginning, according to the recipe method. 6. Season and finish A few minutes after adding the tomatoes, add the pepper, thyme, and, if needed, salt. The amount of spices can be adjusted to taste, keeping in mind that the eggplants were salted before cooking. Finally, add the chopped parsley. Stir gently and serve the dish warm. Why I make this recipe often It’s a simple dish with common vegetables and without a long list of ingredients. The multicooker helps to gradually cook the eggplants, and the actual working time is reduced: most of the preparation involves peeling, chopping, and waiting for the cooking process. I also like that the flavor can be easily adjusted with salt, pepper, and thyme without needing to change the recipe's structure. It works well as a light main dish or as a side with other dishes. Tips Eggplants should be left to drain for a few hours before cooking. It’s good to keep this time in mind when organizing your preparation, as the dish cannot be started immediately after chopping the vegetables. Dice the eggplants instead of cutting them into very large pieces. This way, they will cook more evenly within the 30-40 minute timeframe. Do not add all the tomatoes at the beginning. In this recipe, they are added after about 15 minutes, when the eggplants have already started cooking. Check the salt towards the end. The eggplants were salted before draining, so it’s safer to add a little salt at the beginning of the final cooking and adjust later. The cooking time is indicated as a range, not a fixed duration. If your device cooks more slowly or the vegetable pieces are larger, the dish may need the upper part of the range. Substitutions The recipe does not provide exact substitutions for ingredients. If you don’t have thyme, it can be omitted since the dish already contains onion, garlic, tomatoes, pepper, and parsley. There’s no need to add other spices for the dish to be complete. No alternative for fresh parsley is indicated in the basic recipe. If you choose not to use it, the dish can be finished with just the other mentioned spices. Variations A simpler variation is to keep only salt, pepper, and parsley. Thyme can be adjusted to preference without changing the cooking steps. You can leave the skin on the eggplants as described in the recipe, meaning one strip on and one off. This method of peeling retains some skin without using the eggplants completely unpeeled or fully peeled. The amount of oil remains minimal, according to the recipe. No exact measure is set, so just use enough to lightly cover the bottom of the pot before adding the onion and garlic. Serving ideas The dish can be served warm, immediately after adding the parsley. It’s suitable for lunch or dinner and can be presented as a vegetable dish. It can also be used as a side dish, as the combination of eggplants, tomatoes, onions, and garlic is versatile enough to accompany other meals. The basic recipe does not include bread, rice, or other sides, so these are not necessary for its preparation. Frequently asked questions 1. How long should the eggplants be left to drain? The recipe states that the eggplants should be salted and left to drain for a few hours. No exact number of hours is indicated, so it’s important to follow this step before placing them in the multicooker. 2. When are the tomatoes added? The tomatoes are added after about 15 minutes of the Stew function being on. After placing them in the pot, close the lid again and continue cooking. 3. What function is used on the multicooker? First, the Fry function is used for 5 minutes for the onion and garlic. Then, after adding the eggplants and water, the Stew function is used for 30-40 minutes. 4. Are the eggplants rinsed after salting? The recipe mentions salting and draining the eggplants but does not specify rinsing them. To keep the original steps, only the draining step is followed, without adding an extra rinsing step. 5. When is the parsley added? The chopped parsley is added at the end, after the dish is nearly ready. Nutritional values The values are estimated, as the exact amount of oil is not specified, and the size of the eggplants and tomatoes may vary. For a rough estimate, it is considered that the dish is divided into 4 servings and that a little oil is used. One serving may contain approximately: 100-140 kcal 3-4 g protein 4-7 g fat 15-20 g carbohydrates 5-7 g fiber The final calorie count depends mostly on the oil. Eggplants, tomatoes, onions, and garlic mainly provide carbohydrates, fiber, and a small amount of protein, while the oil contributes most of the fat. The values do not include any sides or other foods served with the dish. Storage and reheating After cooling, transfer the dish to a covered container and store it in the refrigerator. Do not leave it at room temperature for long. When reheating, place the portion in a suitable dish and heat it until evenly warm. If using the multicooker again, heat only the necessary amount, not the entire pot each time. The texture of the eggplants may become softer after storage, but the dish remains suitable for later consumption. Since the recipe does not specify an exact storage duration, it is recommended to consume it as soon as possible and check it before serving.

Preparation

The eggplants are washed. They are peeled in strips, alternating one with the skin and one without. The ends are cut off. They are diced. They are salted and left to drain for a few hours. The onion and garlic are cleaned and chopped. The tomatoes are diced. A little oil is placed in the multicooker pot. It is set to the Fry function for 5 minutes. The onion and garlic are added. Once they have softened a bit, the eggplants and water are added. The device is set to the Stew function for 30-40 minutes and the lid is closed. After 15 minutes, the tomatoes are added. The lid is closed again. After a few minutes, the spices are added, and finally, the chopped parsley. Enjoy your meal! Season to taste.

Eggplant dish with tomatoes (Multicooker)

Preparation

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