Eggplant Parmesan And Chicken Parmesan | Rikasa (2024)

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Eggplant Parmesan And Chicken Parmesan | Rikasa? ›

One of the biggest differences (besides the obvious one) between chicken parmesan and eggplant parmesan boils down to how it's prepared. Chicken parmesan is almost always breaded before it's fried, and a lot more seasoning is added to enhance the flavor.

One of the biggest differences (besides the obvious one) between chicken parmesan and eggplant parmesan boils down to how it's prepared. Chicken parmesan is almost always breaded before it's fried, and a lot more seasoning is added to enhance the flavor.

Eggplant parmesan tends to be lighter on the stomach and is considered to be more healthy. Eggplant is also less expensive. Restaurants find that it is a much cheaper option for guests.

The ancestor of chicken parm is melanzane alla parmigiana, or eggplant parm. Eggplant parm was known as a "la cucina povera” dish, which means "from the kitchen of the poor". It was based on eggplant, often grown in local gardens, combined with ingredients that even the poorest of families would have on hand.

However, as the eggplant grows bigger and matures, the peel may become tough and bitter. People often prefer to peel larger eggplants because of this, but smaller eggplants do just fine unpeeled. It ends up being a matter of personal preference.

Chemical Compounds: Blame the bitter taste on naturally occurring compounds called alkaloids that plants can produce to protect themselves as a defense against predators. Eggplants can have the alkaloid solanine, which can give it a bitter taste.

-- all of these are big diet busters. This one may not be a big surprise; eggplant parmesan is fried. But it is surprising to see how much more fat the eggplant has compared to the pizza -- almost all the fat the average person on a 2,000 calorie diet is supposed to consume in one day ( 65 grams).

Eggplant parmigiana, or eggplant parmesan, is an Italian food made from layers of deep-fried slices of eggplant, tomato sauce and mozzarella cheese. Although it's considered a vegetarian dish, eggplant parmesan is traditionally made with full-fat mozzarella and parmesan cheese, making it high in calories and fat.

HELPS WITH DIGESTION

The high fiber content in eggplants, which is a crucial element to maintaining a balanced diet, is a great way to improve your gastrointestinal health.

Brace yourself for this one—they're the same dish! Chicken Parmesan and chicken Parmigiana are just different names for the same exact recipe. And, with a name like “chicken Parmigiana”, you might assume that this recipe is Italian. While it has roots in Italy (in a way), chicken Parmesan is all-American.

Why does chicken parm use mozzarella? ›

Chicken Parmigiana's History

Believe it or not, there was not readily accessible chicken in Parma, Italy, so the idea started with thin slices of eggplant covered in Neapolitan tomato sauce and mozzarella cheese.

Chicken parmesan or chicken parmigiana (Italian: pollo alla parmigiana) is a dish that consists of breaded chicken breast covered in tomato sauce and mozzarella, Parmesan, or provolone. Ham or bacon is sometimes added.

Two Southern Italian regions, Puglia (the heel of the boot) and Campania (home of Naples), have their own versions of Eggplant Parmigiana, as recorded in La Cucina: The Regional Cooking of Italy. For the recipe from Puglia, the eggplant is dipped in egg, dredged in flour and fried.

Most people prefer to rinse their eggplant after salting it, but you'll be fine without this extra step. Instead, you can simply blot excess salt with a paper towel or bypass this step entirely for a super well-seasoned eggplant. Should you peel eggplant before cooking?

Modern eggplant has had bitterness nearly bred out of it, so many cooks have given up the practice. Salting the slices for eggplant Parmesan is not to prevent bitter flavors, but to season the eggplant itself and, at least in my experience, keep the eggplant from sucking up too much of the olive oil from frying.

This is key to crispy results. Eggplants are 92% water. Failure to remove some of this water will results in soggy Eggplant Parmesan. Slice the eggplant into 1/4 inch slices and line them on paper towels.

Eggplant has a flavor similar to summer squash or zucchini: tender, mild, and sweet with a slight vegetal bitterness. Eggplant will absorb the flavor of whatever it's cooked with. Its texture is firm and spongy when raw, and meltingly tender when cooked (especially fried, smoked, or braised).

Brace yourself for this one—they're the same dish! Chicken Parmesan and chicken Parmigiana are just different names for the same exact recipe. And, with a name like “chicken Parmigiana”, you might assume that this recipe is Italian. While it has roots in Italy (in a way), chicken Parmesan is all-American.

Eggplant can do more than just eggplant parmigiana! It has a rich, meaty taste and is really versatile.

Eggplant parmesan makes for an impressive vegetarian main dish served with a big Italian salad and garlic bread. It also makes a hearty side dish to turkey meatballs, grilled flank steak, or Italian sausage.