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3 aubergine recipes that will make you fall in love with the vegetable

The aubergine, also known as the eggplant, is an interesting vegetable. While it’s extremely popular around the world — especially in Asia, Africa, and along the Mediterranean — northern and western Europe seem to have a strange relationship with it. Some may even say that the elusive plant is somewhat of a mystery for Brits.

It’s understandable — without proper care, aubergines can become bitter and unappealing. However, for a vegetable whose name literally comes from the Sanskrit word meaning the plant that cures the wind, and especially one that’s so delicious (if made right!), it’s time for people to embrace it. On a mission to do just that, we’ve collected a few popular aubergine recipes from around the world that will help you start this journey on the right foot.

Photo by Jinomono Media on Unsplash

1. Aubergine Parmigiana

An Italian delicacy, the aubergine parmigiana is one of the most classic iterations of this vegetable. This layered bake is reminiscent of lasagne, but it involves no pasta sheets — only succulent slices of aubergine. It’s no wonder, then, that many regions maintain that the dish is theirs: “Campania and Sicily both claim to have birthed it, but we like to think of aubergine parmigiana as a collaborative effort,” explain the experts at Pasta Evangelists. “It was likely that it did first emerge from the island of Sicily, where Arab colonisers first introduced the aubergine to Italy. The dish was then improved on in Naples with the addition of milky mozzarella.”

Ingredients

  • 3 medium aubergines
  • 1 garlic clove, sliced
  • 600ml passata
  • 1 bunch basil leaves
  • 180g mozzarella, sliced
  • 60g Parmigiano-Reggiano, finely grated
  • Vegetable oil
  • 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • Salt and pepper, to taste

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 180°C.
  2. Slice the aubergines lengthways into 1.5cm thick slices. In a large bowl, soak the aubergine in salty water for 30 minutes then pat dry.
  3. In a large pan, fry the aubergine slices in vegetable oil until golden and place them in a colander to drain any excess oil.
  4. While the aubergine is draining, sauté garlic with olive oil for one minute. Before it burns, add the passata and basil and season well. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and let cook for 10-15 minutes.
  5. At the bottom of an ovenproof dish, spread a scoop of tomato sauce. Layer fried aubergines on top, together with more tomato sauce, grated parmesan and slice mozzarella. Repeat the process until you run out of aubergine, then top with extra tomato sauce and parmesan.
  6. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.

2. Sabich

Another dish that uses the technique of soaking aubergines in salt to remove bitterness and expose their lovely rich flavour is the Middle Eastern Sabich. A popular street food in Israel, it was originally brought into the country that popularised it by Jewish immigrants from Iraq, and is a sandwich perfect for a hot summer’s day. The fried aubergines are juicy and inviting, and, combined with fresh salad and hard-boiled egg, it’s both refreshing and nutritional. If you want to truly be authentic, though, you need to find yourself some amba — a spicy mango relish that really elevates the dish.

Ingredients

  • 1 aubergine
  • 1 tomato
  • 1 cucumber
  • 1 boiled potato
  • 1 egg, hard-boiled (per person)
  • 1 pita (per person)
  • 1 bunch of parsley, chopped
  • Tahini
  • Vegetable oil

Method

  1. Slice the aubergine lengthways and then into 3-4 small rectangles.
  2. Layer the aubergine slices on some kitchen paper and cover with salt. Let them rest for 30 minutes.
  3. Make tahini sauce according to your preference.
  4. Slice the tomato, cucumber, egg and potato.
  5. Wipe the aubergines with some kitchen paper.
  6. Place a wide pan on the heat and add vegetable oil to cover the bottom of the pan. When the oil boils, fry the aubergine slices in one layer. Flip once golden.
  7. Remove from the pan and place on some kitchen paper to absorb any excess oil.
  8. Slice a pita open and layer tomato, cucumber, parsley, aubergine, egg slices, potato and tahini according to your taste.

3. Hoisin Aubergine Bao

Bao buns have become all the rage in recent years, although they have existed for centuries in East Asia. The quintessential bao is a simple one: fluffy, cloudy dough filled with barbecue pork and served after light steaming. However, bao buns can be stuffed with a variety of fillings, one of which is a delicious (and vegan!) hoisin aubergine, which is just as flavourful and juicy as the traditional pork. The best part? Other than the dough and the folding technique which could take some time to master, it’s a really simple aubergine dish — and you can use the filling for anything under the sun, even as a side with some rice.

Ingredients

For the dough

  • 250ml warm water
  • 2 tbsp sugar
  • 2 tbsp instant yeast
  • 2 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 380g all-purpose flour
  • 1½ tsp baking powder
  • ¼ tsp salt

For the filling

  • 500g Japanese aubergine
  • ½ cup hoisin sauce (bought or homemade)

Method

  1. Start by making the dough: in a large measuring cup or mixing bowl, add the sugar and yeast to the water. Stir and let it sit until it’s foamy, then add the oil.
  2. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Incorporate the yeast mixture and stir with a wooden spoon until you have a coarse dough.
  3. Move the dough to a lightly floured surface, then knead by hand until smooth and elastic.
  4. Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let it rise until doubled in size — this will take 45 minutes to an hour.
  5. While the dough is rising, prepare the filling: trim the ends of the aubergine and cut them in half.
  6. Brush the aubergine with oil, and, using a grill pan, grill over medium-high heat until tender, about 4-5 minutes on each side. Let it cool.
  7. Once chilled, cut into cubes.
  8. Heat the hoisin sauce in a pan and add the aubergine cubes, coating them thoroughly.
  9. Punch down the dough and divide into 12 balls. Let it rest for a few minutes.
  10. Prepare your steamer and bring the water to a boil.
  11. Roll each ball into a roughly 12cm round. Spoon a heap of the aubergine in the centre, then take opposite sides of the dough and pinch together over the filling until sealed off.
  12. Place the buns in a steamer basket (though be careful not to overcrowd — you may need to do this in batches, in which case keep the rest in the fridge so they do not lose their shape) and steam for 12-15 minutes.

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