Jilo Eggplant?
Has anyone cooked with Jilo eggplant? I got some from the "take all you can use" bin at our CSA today. They are a small light green Brazilian eggplant that is apparently quite bitter. Any suggesions?
8 Comments
nishanehwalSeptember 3, 2020
Not all people are able to use beautiful words in life, there are some people who can translate the words of their mind into words, you are the only one of them, you have written this post in a beautiful way.
http://royalescortsingurgaon.com/
http://royalescortsingurgaon.com/
LunadaluttiAugust 12, 2013
Okay, coming back after a couple of years... your big batch is probably long gone by now, but I ate a delicious recipe with jilo that is worth including in your repertoire! There's a thai restaurant here in Rio called My Thai and they prepare green curry with jilo, zucchini, onions and the protein of your choice (goes great with shitake mushrooms!). The sweetness from the zuchinnis counterbalances the jilo's bitter taste and and the ensemble marries well with all the spices. I replicated the recipe at home, using store bought green thai curry and adding steamed okras (over the jasmine rice pot), turned out beautiful!!! I made a pregnant woman very happy with it!!! Hope you like thai and give it a try!
Helen's A.August 22, 2011
I found this recipe on line: http://flavorsofbrazil.blogspot.com/2010/10/recipe-spicy-stuffed-gilo-jilo-com.html?showComment=1314056976905#c2690423801121545951
The house smells fantastic! I used my handy-dandy apple corer to hollow them out, see photo. If you see them in your farmer's market, give them a try. Apparently they turn bright yellow/orange when ripe, mine were just starting to turn.
The house smells fantastic! I used my handy-dandy apple corer to hollow them out, see photo. If you see them in your farmer's market, give them a try. Apparently they turn bright yellow/orange when ripe, mine were just starting to turn.
Helen's A.August 17, 2011
Thank you everyone! I found a recipe that stuffs the jilo with a mixture of vegetables and bacon. Think I'll give that a try! That will use 1/2 of what I have. Then I'll experiment with the rest this weekend. Will post the results...
LunadaluttiAugust 17, 2011
Ah! And for removing the bitter taste, try salting the pieces, let them rest then rinse (again, same as eggplants).
Or you can pickle them - in quarters or diced with coloured bell peppers, apparently turns out really good, plus it's a good way to preserve your big batch.
Or you can pickle them - in quarters or diced with coloured bell peppers, apparently turns out really good, plus it's a good way to preserve your big batch.
LunadaluttiAugust 17, 2011
Hi there, being from Brazil, I'm used to eating jiló! It can be bitter if not cooked properly, true, but it also depends on the quality of the produce - the same as eggplants.
A common way to eat them here is fried! I've never made it this way, but you can steam or boil them first, then deep fry (in the egg-flour mix of your choice). Another way is to sauté them with onions, garlic, oil, some tomato paste or canned tomatoes, adding some herbs at the end.
Hope this helped.
A common way to eat them here is fried! I've never made it this way, but you can steam or boil them first, then deep fry (in the egg-flour mix of your choice). Another way is to sauté them with onions, garlic, oil, some tomato paste or canned tomatoes, adding some herbs at the end.
Hope this helped.
A Whole Foods Market CustomerAugust 17, 2011
Maybe try some refrigerator pickles with it if you have tons! Yes, do let us know what you come up with, Helen!
SKKAugust 16, 2011
Gilo or jilo originated in West Africa, and I have eaten it in Ghana and Senegal. It was taken by slaves to Brazil and Suriname. In Ghana they call it 'garden egg' and it is used interchangeably with eggplant. I have eaten it as a vegetable, stewed with onions and beef or shrimp. It is also used in okra soup. You can eat it as a side dish cooked in water, with some vinegar and sugar and maybe some hot peppers. Then you have it as a side dish, pickled, with mixed rice. In my taste it wasn't bitter and it was distinct.
Can't wait to hear what you do with it!
Can't wait to hear what you do with it!
Showing 8 out of 8 Comments
Recommended by Food52
Popular on Food52
Continue After Advertisement