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Although fresh vegetables are great in a salad, with their crunch, juiciness and vegetal flavours that scream good health, grilling vegetables is a whole other domain. Grilling brings out the natural sugars present in the vegetables, turning them into a caramelized brown colour with a smoky aftertaste, making the vegetables tender and almost sweet and jammy. We’ve compiled a list of some of the most ideal and delicious vegetables that transform in flavour and form, once grilled. Eat them as is, along with a meal, add to sandwiches – the world is your oyster!g
Zucchini
Image Credits: Small Town Woman
Like eggplant, zucchini has a high moisture content, which, upon grilling gives it a beautiful jammy texture and caramelized exterior. Pre-salting the zucchini will encourage the release of its naturally-present waters and helps in getting better results when grilled, making the zucchini tender and not mushy while eating.
Asparagus
Image Credits: The Kitchen Magpie
Tender and waif-thin, asparagus cook quickly and gets a nice char that works great for salads or to serve with eggs. Try to find the freshest bunch while shopping with tender stalks, which retain a bit of crunch but are easy to eat, as opposed to a thick, fibrous stem which is hard to chew.
Corn
Image Credits: Derrick Riches
Grilling fresh corn is one of the greatest ways to enjoy the sweet kernels, mopped with lots of butter, garlic salt and parmesan cheese. Coming from a culture that enjoys coal-grilled bhutta on-the-go, the sentiment of biting into a chilli powder-lemon juice spiked cob of corn is rather indescribable in words.
Onions
Image Credits: Plays Well With Butter
Grilled onions are a great way of adding a punch of flavour, without the pungency that’s typically associated with raw onions. Apart from the usual bulbous variety, flash grilling a bunch of scallions and layering it on top of a slice of sourdough toast, drizzled with honey, is the ultimate canape for your intimate gatherings.
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Lettuce
Image Credits: BountyandSoul
Although an unlikely contender on a list of veggies you can grill, lettuce wilts beautifully and imbues the smokiness in every bite once cooked and tender. Pairing it with a savoury dressing like Caesar or a citrus zingy vinaigrette would work well to accentuate the mild sweetness of cooked lettuce as well as act as a contrast to the smoky flavours.
Eggplant
Image Credits: The Spice House
On grilling thick cut slices of eggplant, the flesh becomes fantastically tender and soft with a bitter char on the skin, which is a riot of flavour. The velvety texture of grilled eggplant works perfectly with a chunky sauce like chimichurri or accoutrements like fried chickpeas and lots of chopped parsley. You could alternately grill a whole eggplant to make the creamiest dip that pairs beautifully with toasted pita chips or lavash.
