Vegetable

Eggplant

Eggplant (aubergine, brinjal; Solanum melongena) is a spongy-fleshed nightshade fruit eaten as a vegetable. Globe purple types, slender Asian, striped Graffiti, small Indian, and white cultivars differ in seed load, bitterness, and how much oil they absorb. Raw flesh is dull and astringent; heat turns it creamy, smoky, and meaty when roasted or grilled until collapsed. Mediterranean, Middle Eastern, South Asian, and East Asian cookery rely on it for baba ghanoush, moussaka, ratatouille, parmigiana, curries, and miso-glazed steaks. Salt older seedy fruit if bitterness bothers you; modern cultivars often need no salting. Choose glossy, firm fruit heavy for size; soft brown spots and dull skin mean age. Oil carefully—eggplant soaks fat greedily unless roasted dry first or brushed lightly.

Also known as: Aubergine