Beyond Curry: Dry Masala-Stuffed Eggplants

Each type of eggplant has its own unique character and consequently its own style of preparation. The fuller, dark purple ones are roasted, the longer lavender ones are sliced and fried and the small black ones become tiny morsels bursting with the flavors of stuffed spices.

Eggplant Curry - South Indian Brinjal Curry

South Indian Eggplant Curry - roasted eggplant simmered in a strongly spiced curry sauce so it soaks up flavour and collapses into a delicious mush. SO GOOD!

Spiced Shrimp and Eggplant Stir-Fry

Shrimp and eggplant are a classic combination, contrasting the vegetable's mild, bitter edge with the sweet, faintly briny seafood. A blend of spices and hot chilies floods the dish with warm heat; coupled with roti or pilaf, it makes for a hearty, satisfying meal.

Stovetop Eggplant With Harissa, Chickpeas, and Cumin Yogurt

Eggplants have always been a difficult vegetable for me. They come in different shapes, sizes, colors, and stripes and are surrounded by dos and don'ts. But with enough delicious recipes under your belt, it's pretty easy to overlook the post-cooking appearance and realize that all those dos and don'ts are really more suggestions than hard-and-fast rules. This recipe, which combines small Italian eggplants cooked whole in olive oil along with harissa, chickpeas, and tomatoes, is one such preparat...

Garlicky Eggplant and Tomato Spread (Mirza Ghasemi) from 'The New Persian Kitchen'

Eggplants and tomatoes are far from culinary strangers. Whether baked gently in a ratatouille or simmered in a rich pasta sauce a la Norma, these friendly nightshades blend seamlessly in many cuisines. This super garlicky eggplant and tomato dip in Louisa Shafia's cookbook The New Persian Kitchen is no exception. Adding a new layer of complexity, however, is the inclusion of a couple of eggs, which thicken and bulk up what would otherwise be a glorified tomato sauce. The eggs transform the veget...

Charred Eggplant and Tomatoes with Harissa and Mint

Young, firm eggplants are the best for this dish. Cook them just till they char and become tender, any longer and they will turn mushy. After a few seconds, they will absorb all the oil in the pan; they will cook just fine without the need for more.

Braised Eggplant With Tofu in Garlic Sauce

Braised Eggplant with Garlic Sauce is a classic Sichuan dish that combines soft simmered eggplant, fermented soy beans, and a sweet, garlicky sauce. For this version, I like to add a few tablespoons of chopped up preserved mustard root and incorporate the garlic in a couple of ways: first, by cooking whole smashed cloves in oil to infuse it with flavor (I discard the cooked whole cloves), as well as sliced thin and sauteed along with the other aromatics.

Middle Eastern Roasted Eggplant with Couscous

Middle Eastern Roasted Eggplant with Couscous - 15 minutes prep for this fragrant melt-in-your-mouth eggplant piled high with a fresh couscous. Divine starter or as a meal. (Vegan Tahini Drizzle recipe included as an alternative to dolloping yoghurt on!)

Grilled Eggplant with Yoghurt Sauce

A simple but incredibly tasty recipe for Grilled Eggplant dish that's on the table in 15 minutes. Just grilled slices of eggplant and top with a simple tasty yoghurt sauce.

Baked Eggplant with Lamb and Walnut Sauce

A Turkish-inspired dish with a ragu as complex as bolognese that can be made in a fraction of the time. The principal spice blend in the sauce is called janissary spice, the product of Turkish spice blender in Istanbul, but it's easy to replicate at home. Seek out maraş chiles, which are intensely sweet, not that hot, and carry the rich flavors of sun-warmed tomatoes with hints of red bell pepper for the blend. You can find them at Cambridge's Formaggio Kitchen and Oakland's Market Hall foods (b...