How to make eggplant less oily?

Question

I like to make this recipe with thin spaghetti, Eggplant, fresh tomatoes, and mozzarella. 1 pound of eggplant is sauteed in 1/4 inch deep vegetable oil.

When the meal is done it's too oily for my taste. How can I make the eggplant less greasy/oily tasting?

Answer 1

Another option is to simply lightly oil the eggplant with a pastry brush and bake or grill it, then add it to the rest of the dish as usual. It isn't the exact same dish, but it will still be good and substantially less oily. You could also bake the eggplant whole (poke a few holes and bake at say 375 until completely tender), then slice when done.

Answer 2

Several authorities claim that salting helps. Here's one method you can use to do that,

1. Cut the aubergine into length-wise slices about half an inch thick;
2. Place them on a kitchen-towel covered baking tray;
3. Salt well using coarse grained salt (it will be easier to wipe off than table salt);
4. Leave for 30 minutes;
5. Wipe off excess salt (rinse off if you used table salt) and dry with a kitchen towels.

Answer 3

I usually steam the eggplant first, either in a basket or a dedicated electric steamer. If you are in a hurry, you can first microwave (eegads) sliced eggplant, then sautee it. Use less oil overall in the dish, as the pre-cooked eggplant will need less.