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What might you suggest to give eggplant more chew texture? (not a fan of tofu)

Ask Me Anything (Office Hours)

Char Nolan - Ask Me Anything (Office Hours)

This event was on June 17, 2025

Join Chef Char Nolan in her virtual office as she welcomes all of your questions. This event was created for you and we encourage you to ask anything – from cooking techniques to course-specific questions, to how to turn your cooking passion into profit or simply hearing the perspective of a professional chef, Chef Nolan is ready to answer them all.

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Question

Andy Molnar

What might you suggest to give eggplant more chew texture? (not a fan of tofu)

Answer

So the first thing I always like to ask students is, was it peeled and was it drained? Because when you drain eggplant the same way that you do tofu, uh, and remove any of the extra moisture, you're gonna get a a better product. You're gonna get something that's a little bit more substantial, something that's going to really, really, I think enhance the flavors and the texture a little bit more. So peel. And then, uh, I grew up Italian, so I'm going to tell you the, the trick. You slicer cube, your eggplant, you stick it in a colander, you put a couple of heavy dishes on top of it, and then something heavier, like my grandmother used an iron and then all of the water came out and then it was ready for the preparation. And I'm not sure how you cooked the eggplant, if you air fried it, I'm gonna suggest to maybe a very light, light dusting of, um, a corn starch. And that corn starch will give it a nice chewy kind of a consistency. So lemme know how you make out. It sounds like a delicious dish. Who doesn't love a Thai curry? Made with eggplant?

Char Nolan

Chef Instructor

Char Nolan is a serious crusader for plant-based education, armed with a degree in public health from Philadelphia’s Temple University. She teaches nutrition and plant-based cooking throughout Philadelphia, and in many underserved communities. Char holds a certificate in plant-based nutrition from eCornell and completed Rouxbe’s Plant-Based Professional Certification course in 2015. In 2019, Char completed post-graduate course work in social media marketing at the University of the Arts. When she is not cooking or teaching, she manages social media accounts for several plant-based influencers. Char prides herself on learning everything she knows about cooking from growing up in her grandparents’ Italian restaurant. Her favorite vegetables are Brussels sprouts and kale, of course. Char originally hails from Queens, NY, but has lived in Philadelphia most of her adult life. She is a former Peace Corps Volunteer.