Thai eggplant facts for kids
Thai eggplant (Thai: มะเขือ, RTGS: makhuea) is the name for several varieties of eggplant used in Southeast Asian cuisines, most often of the eggplant species Solanum melongena. They are also cultivated in India and Sri Lanka and feature in Sri Lankan cuisine. These golf ball sized eggplants are commonly used in Thai cuisine, Indonesian cuisine, and in Cambodian Cuisine. Some of the cultivars in Thailand are Thai Purple, Thai Green, Thai Yellow, and Thai White.
Uses
The green-white varieties of Thai eggplants are essential ingredients in Thai curry dishes such as in kaeng tai pla, green and red curry. They are often halved or quartered, but can also be used whole, and cooked in the curry sauce where they become softer and absorb the flavor of the sauce. They are also eaten raw in Thai salads or with Thai chili pastes (nam phrik).
Sometimes, in Thai restaurants outside of Thailand, Thai eggplants are replaced by locally available eggplants.
One of the most popular Cambodian steak sauce known as Tuk Prahok is made with the green-white variety (Khmer: ត្រប់ស្រួយ pronounces trob sruoy)
Gallery
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The flowers of the Thai eggplant
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The fruit of the Thai eggplant. The white residue on the leaves is common.
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A purple-white type of eggplant used in Thailand
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Kaeng tai pla with Thai eggplants and bamboo shoots
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The eggplants are often eaten raw in Thailand, for instance in som tam Lao
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Phla nuea makhuea on is a Thai salad of medium rare beef and nearly raw sliced Thai eggplant
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Yellow and white makhuea pro (Thai eggplant) in the background, fritters made from makhuea muang (purple eggplant) in the foreground, served with nam phrik kapi, a chili paste containing makhuea phuang (Thai pea-sized eggplants)
