cooking with… eggplant

Cooking with... eggplant

Roasted, charred, baked or mashed, the eggplant is extremely versatile and adds a subtle but flavoursome taste to any dish! Click on the photos for each recipe.
Eggplant varieties

Want to learn all about the different types of eggplants you can cook with? Click 'read more' below.
Three-cheese eggplant involtini

Perfect for sharing, this super easy three-cheese eggplant involtini is a definite crowd-pleaser!
Tamarind and chilli braised brisket and eggplants

Flavoursome and tender, add some savoury zing to your dinner with this tamarind and chilli braised brisket with eggplants recipe.
Ginger and miso glazed eggplants

Bring the flavours of of Japan to your dinner table with this delicious eggplant recipe.
Smoky eggplant, lamb sausage, potato pizza

This delicious pizza recipe is so easy to make, it will be on weekly rotation in no time!
Sweet potato, eggplant and cauliflower bechamel lasagne

Liven up your weeknights with this classic heartwarming recipe with a vegetarian twist.
Crispy eggplant and pesto burger

The classic burger just got a makeover! Perfect for lunches, this crispy eggplant and pesto burger is so quick and simple to make.
Eggplant schnitzels with creamy mash and burnt butter

If you're looking for nourishing vegetarian comfort food, this crispy eggplant schnitzel with creamy mash is the perfect dish for a cosy night in.
Creamy tomato, burrata and eggplant pasta

Topped with creamy burrata, this pasta recipe is hearty and oh-so-delicious!

From beautifully glossy globes in hues of rich autumnal violet to the delightful petite pea-green variety, we celebrate eggplants in all shapes and sizes with these warming recipes.

EGGPLANT VARIETIES

1. BABY GLOBE

A ‘mini me’ to the common globe artichoke, its skin, though similar in colour, is thinner and the flesh is sweeter and less bitter. It’s available from greengrocers.

2. THAI LONG GREEN

These lime-green eggplants are mild and sweet. As the name suggests, this eggplant is great in Thai dishes and curries. Find them in Asian grocers.

3. GLOBE

These are also known as ‘common’ eggplants and are the most widely available. Buy firm, glossy eggplants as the fresher they are, the less bitter they will be. Find in supermarkets.

4. WHITE

With a thick skin and firm white flesh, this eggplant holds its shape when cooking, and has a subtle flavour. Find in select greengrocers, or use baby globe instead.

5. ROSA BIANCA

This heirloom Italian/Sicilian eggplant has purple and white skin and a bulbous shape. It tastes mildly sweet and creamy. You can substitute it with Italian or globe.

6. THAI APPLE / KERMIT

These apple green eggplants are golf-ball sized and are great halved or quartered in Thai curries, and sliced in salads. Available from Asian grocers.

7. PEA

So-called as they look like clusters of large green peas, these eggplants are firm and are often used in Asian cooking, particularly Thai. Find them in Asian grocers.

8. ITALIAN / ANTIGUA

This purple-striped eggplant is smaller than the common globe, with a thin skin and mild, bitter-free soft flesh. Find it in greengrocers and grower’s markets.

9. PURPLE / CHINESE

These pretty coloured eggplants are less bitter than the Japanese and globe eggplants, as they tend to have less seeds. Find them in Asian grocers or greengrocers.

10. JAPANESE / FINGER

This finger-shaped, variety has a sweet, delicate flavour. It is also sold as ‘Lebanese’ eggplant. Find in Asian grocers, greengrocers and some supermarkets.