Eggplant an alternative for bread

Eggplant is an annual plant. It belongs to the solanaceae family which includes potatoes, tomatoes and peppers. It is known as a vegetable but actually, it is a fruit. There are many varieties and they are easy to grow. If you prefer to buy them, they are not expensive and you can find them all year round although it is a summer crop.

It is believed that it is originally from India. Some of the earliest written evidence for its use and benefits are in Ayurvedic texts about 2000 old. It has more than 30 different names in Sanskrit in the ancient texts. It is also used as traditional medicine in some Asian cultures.

Eggplants are packed with fiber, minerals, vitamins and antioxidants that help neutralize free radical from damaging our body. They are low in calories and don’t have starch. They are good for balancing diets that are heavy in protein and starches. Among the minerals and vitamins that they have are folate, potassium, manganese, vitamins C, K, and B6, B1, phosphorus, copper, thiamin, niacin, magnesium, and pantothenic acid.

Many of the nutritional benefits come from the skin, so don’t peel them, just wash them very well.

If you are in a raw diet or want to reduce the amount of carbs or bread that you consume eggplants are a good, healthy and cheap choice. For this, you are going to dehydrate at a low temperature your eggplant. In this way, you will keep the vitamins, minerals and antioxidants that are so easy to lose when we cooked at a high temperature.

There are many recipes on how to dehydrate eggplants and turn them into chips or eggplant jerky. Usually those recipes call for tons of oil, spices and salt. You may be cutting on starch and carbohydrates but what is the use if you are adding tons of salt and oil?

This recipe is very simple. If you want to try different ways to “beautify” your eggplants at the bottom of this article you will find alternative ways of preparing them. Not as easy, simple and healthy as the recipe below but not complicated either. It is a good choice to prepare the eggplant in different ways and while transitioning from bread to eggplant-bread or cracker.

When selecting an eggplant choose the ones that are heavy for their size and firm

How to prepare them

Ingredients

1 or 2 Eggplants

Preparation

Wash eggplants
Cut them lengthwise or sideways, your choice. Because they have a high water content they are going to shrink a lot so cut them half an inch or a little bit less. If you want them very thin then cut a little bigger than ¼ inch thick
Lay them on parchment paper, silicon sheet or dehydrator liners and then on a cookie sheet if you are using the oven or on the dehydrator tray
Place them on the oven or the dehydrator. If you are using an oven set it up for the lowest temperature setting possible and when you close the oven door place a wooden spoon so the door doesn’t close totally allowing the steam produced by the dehydration to escape. If you are using a dehydrator, adjust the temperature to 104 to 110 F degrees. This low temperature will take longer but you will preserve more the precious vitamins and minerals
The time depends in your oven or dehydrator and where do you live. If it is damp or dry. It can take from 12 to 24 hours. If you feel uncomfortable leaving the oven on for so long you can do this process during the day only. The eggplants are ready when they are crispy
Remove from oven or dehydrator and store in airtight container. You can freeze them, store in the fridge or leave them out. If they start to get soft, dehydrate again for a couple of hours until they are crisp.

How to eat them

Use them as an alternative of bread or chips. As a snack. Of course, it is not the same as bread but for a sandwich or toast while we are not eating bread and craving it, dry eggplants are a great substitute.

They are great with dips like hummus, yogurt dip, re-fried beans, etc.

Additional ways to prepare them

Before placing the eggplant slices in the oven, with a brush apply the mixture of your choice.

Mediterranean style

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder or pressed fresh garlic
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Kosher or Himalayan salt and freshly ground black pepper

Eggplant jerky

1/2 cup olive oil
4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
Kosher or Himalayan salt and freshly ground black pepper

Moroccan style

2 teaspoons smoked paprika
¼ cup of water
¼ cup of olive oil
Kosher or Himalayan salt and freshly ground black pepper

Paloma Cervantes is a Mexican Shaman or Curandera born and raised into the tradition. Working as a Curandera since 1986. She writes, teaches and practices Shamanism, Curanderismo, Spiritual Herbalism, Natural Ways and Ancient Healing Traditions. Visit her website www.palomacervantes.com