Eggplant

Heilongjiang in Northeast China does not have a huge repertoire of famous recipes, but this eggplant preparation should put it on the map.

Use this master formula as your guide—but feel free to get creative with the add-ins. A dried chile? Sure! A few sprigs of herbs from your windowsill? Why not?

This dressed eggplant is wonderful as an appetizer or a full meal on its own.

Fish fragrant sauce doesn’t actually have any fish in it, but the sweet, sour, and spicy elements in the sauce are traditionally used to cook Sichuan fish dishes, and it gives this dish its name.

Since Chinese eggplant has fewer seeds, it is noticeably less bitter than its fellow nightshades. This makes it the perfect ensemble player in this cast of heat, ginger, and garlic.

When grilled (or broiled) whole, eggplants get silky and smoky inside and charred on the exterior—perfect for mashing and mixing with sautéed onion, garlic, and fresh tomato.

If you haven’t tried eggplant with butter before, this will be a revelation. It is delicious and silky and makes for the best starter or sharing dish. Add some fresh herbs too, if you have them.

In this recipe, summer produce gets stuffed with spiced ground lamb and cooked in an oniony tomato sauce. Top it off with crispy garlic, herbs, and yogurt.

Green curry with chicken and eggplant from Chef Hong Thaimee.

Here, eggplant gets halved lengthwise, drenched in olive oil, and roasted. It never quite crisps, but it browns and caramelizes while the rest of it turns to the texture of a perfectly just set 6-minute egg.

Nestle a whole eggplant in the dying embers of a charcoal grill (or char it up top) and it’ll soften into a deliciously smoky, spoonable mush.

No pots or pans needed for this easy summertime recipe. Just fire up the grill!

For this gluten-free version of eggplant Parm, rounds of eggplant are sliced and breaded in a mixture of ground almonds and Parmesan cheese, then baked before being layered with cheese and sauce.

For this popular Filipino breakfast, the eggplants are heavily charred before being battered with egg and pan-fried, making them smoky, creamy, crispy, and totally satisfying.

When you make eggplant in the air fryer, not only do you get a wonderful texture, but you have a healthier version than fried eggplant without anywhere near the mess to clean up.

If you grill the vegetables a day or two ahead, this satisfying pasta dinner comes together in a snap.

This is a wonderful dip with a subtle flavor of caramelized onion and saffron and a silky texture offset by the lovely crunch of the walnut garnish.

This playful Indian take on veggie lasagna pairs chickpea-flour noodles with eggplant, sweet potatoes, and chile- and ginger-spiced tomato and yogurt sauces.

Eggplant gets a big lift from buttery avocado and an irresistibly kicky, creamy sauce.

Never have button mushrooms been more delicious than in this veg-packed spicy dip recipe, also ideal as a sandwich spread or finisher for simply prepared vegetables.

Serve this dip with chips, as part of a meze platter, or slather it on grilled chicken thighs or lamb chops.

Spiced grains, roasted peak-season vegetables, and a lemony garlic dressing make this a stand-out side dish that doubles as a satisfying lunch.

We love halloumi’s squeaky texture and ability to take on some char, but torn salted mozzarella would be just as good (just don’t try grilling it).