Aubergine Recipes

Grilled Aubergine

A simple, easy way to cook aubergines, on the barbecue or using a griddle pan.

Slice an aubergine into 1cm thick slices, leaving the stem part on. Dust the slices with ½ teaspoon of salt and leave in a colander for 5 minutes then rinse and dry.

Brush both sides with olive oil and then sprinkle with salt and black pepper. Freshly grated nutmeg also works really well, and you can add chilli flakes if you want it spicy.

Then simply place on a hot barbecue or a hot ridged griddle pan and cook for a few minutes per side. They’re done when they’re soft, floppy and slightly translucent.

Michelin Level Ratatouille

Ever since watching this video I always make ratatouille this way. Once you’ve done it one time it’s actually pretty simple, and the results are amazing. Also freezes really well.

Fried Aubergine Cubes

5 mins prep, 15 mins cooking time

Ingredients: Aubergine, cornflour, salt, pepper, cooking oil

We got served this dish on holiday in Sardinia, staying on farms. The farmers would cook their own aubergines in this super simple, but delicious, style and we tried to duplicate it when we got home. It’s also quite kid-friendly in that the finished dish looks like crispy pale golden cubes, and not like a big purple vegetable! It’s really simple - but the trick is in the method so I’ll take a bit of time to explain that.

Cut the aubergine into roughly 2cm cubes. No need to peel. If you have time you can lightly dust with salt, leave for 10 minutes in a colander and then rinse with water and dry by spinning in a tea towel. This takes away some of the bitterness that aubergines can have if they’re too old. But if it’s a tasty young veg with no seeds you probably don’t need to bother.

Now take around 5tbsp of cornflour (more if you’re doing more than one aubergine) and place in a bowl (or even better, a plastic bag). Add 1 tsp of salt and 1tsp finely ground white or black pepper. Mix thoroughly. Now add the aubergine cubes and stir or shake to coat.

Heat a pan of oil for deep frying (olive, sunflower or any other oil is fine) - needs to be at least 3cm deep so the cubes will float. Heat the oil to around 180C - you should see the air above it shimmer slightly, and if you put a wooden spoon or chopstick in the oil it should produce bubbles. If the oil is smoking its probably too hot.

Pick up one cube and give it a shake to get rid of any loose flour. Drop it into the oil and let it sizzle until its a nice pale golden colour. Remove with a slotted spoon and place on a paper towel. Let it cool a bit and then taste. If it needs a bit more salt add some to the bowl. Depending on how well cooked it is, adjust your cooking time.

Now pick up a handful of aubergine cubes and give a shake over the bowl or bag to get rid of any loose coating, then drop into the oil. You want one layer of cubes with about half a centimetre between cubes - don’t crowd the pan or the oil will get cold and the aubergine will be greasy. Keep cooking in batches till its all done.

You can serve as is, as finger food or a side dish. It also goes well with a simple tomato or tomato and red pepper sauce.

Smoked Aubergine Curry

From Madhur Jaffrey’s Invitation to Indian Cooking. This is a bit of a show-stopper, takes a bit of work, but gives you a delicious smoky, flavourful curry that everyone I’ve ever served it to loves.

Ingredients

  • 3 large aubergines, washed and dried

  • 1 large onion, cut into quarters or eighths.

  • 2 inches of ginger

  • 3 cloves of garlic

  • vegetable oil

  • 1 tsp ground turmeric

  • 2 tsp garam masala

  • 1 smallish green chilli with or without the seeds (depending on your heat preference)

  • 1 can diced tomatoes or four fresh tomatoes

  • 1/4 cup coarsely chopped green coriander

  • Lemon juice

  • salt to taste

First you need to make the aubergines smoky. The easiest way to do this is to put them under a hot grill and leave until the skin blackens, then turn repeatedly until its blackened and blistered all over. You can also place directly on a gas hob, or on a barbecue or even in the ashes of a wood fire. It should take around 15-20 minutes.

When they’re nice and blackened run them under the cold tap in the sink and peel the burnt skin off and put the peeled aubergines in a colander.

Next blend the onion, ginger and garlic into a paste and add a few tablespoons of water to get it smooth. Fry this in a few tablespoons of vegetable oil using a frying pan or large saute pan. Cook over medium heat for about 5-7 minutes, making sure it doesn’t stick (add a bit of water if necessary) until its slightly brown and the raw ginger smell has gone. Add turmeric and garam masala, fry for a minute or two then add the green chilli and fry for a minute or two more. Then add the tomato and half of the coriander and cook for about 10. minutes on a low heat until it makes a nice flavourful sauce.

Chop the aubergine into roughly 2cm cubes and add in and cook for another 10-15 minutes adding salt and lemon juice to taste. Serve with the other half of the coriander scattered on the top.

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