Eggplant

The ingredient list for a curry can be a little daunting with all those spices, but the technique isn’t very far from a pasta sauce: you just toast the whole spices and then move on to a sort of sofrito of onion, garlic, and ginger. From that flavor base, you add tomatoes and whatever veggies you desire. At the end, a quick chutney, really just a rough chopped blend of herbs and coconut, gives the stew a bright pop of flavor (the way a few torn basil leaves make that tomato sauce sing).

Fight for good eggplant parm with these insider tips. Be the change you wish to see in the world.

A revelatory technique turns blah eggplant into something fancy enough for company.

Forget roasting—these techniques for brining, curing, smoking, and more will change everything you know about cooking veg.

Japanese eggplants are smaller, sweeter, and faster-cooking than other types. If using globe eggplants, slice them into half-inch rounds.

If it looks good at the market, it will be good in this salad.

The broccoli should still have snap and crunch after charring—this is a far cry from the mayo-based broccoli salad you may be thinking of.

Seamus Mullen, chef at Tertulia in New York, lets you in on the secret to getting seriously delicious, Spanish-style smoky eggplant on your backyard grill.

Chef Mullen cooks his eggplants directly in the coals of his wood-burning oven, a great technique to try the next time you’re grilling, or you can try this in a fireplace. But you’ll get the same effect (minus a little less smoky flavor) by using a broiler.

If you look up umami in the dictionary, there’s a picture of this dish. Between the eggplant, tomato, fish sauce, and cured meat, that savory depth of flavor hits you from all sides.

Brad Leone, the Bon Appétit test kitchen manager, is an expert at picking out perfect produce. This week, he's telling us how to find and buy the best eggplants.

When you put an egg on eggplant, you get a veg main course.

Use whatever type of eggplant looks most appealing at the market; they should be firm to the touch, with glossy skin. Small globe eggplants are easy to find, but this is also a terrific time to use long Asian types, small round white ones, or any of the cool-looking striped varieties.

Here's how to buy, store, and cook with eggplant, in season in July.

Be patient: The goal is to char the eggplants beyond recognition.

Eggplant Parmesan is the greatest recipe of all time.

This uncooked mole gets heat from jalapeño, cooling freshness from lettuce and herbs, and a touch of richness from toasted seeds. Use any extra as a dip for crudités.

This caponata uses a technique called a "cold fry." Instead of frying the vegetables in preheated, hot oil, you combine the vegetables and room temperature oil in a pot and heat them up together. The benefit of this method is that you use less oil than you would normally use when you "hot fry" and there is very little splatter because the food and oil are always at the same temperature. And, like "hot frying," you still get a golden crispy exterior and soft, creamy interior but with no mess.

Nobody likes bitter-tasting eggplant—are you making any of these common eggplant cooking mistakes?

Hot weather and spicy foods just go together, but this speedy stovetop dish won’t heat up your kitchen.

Making the eggplant spread ahead of time has a double upside: The flavors of the mixture will deepen as it sits, and you get to cross something off the list.

Eggplant is like a sponge. Salting it draws out moisture and firms up the flesh, and deep-frying ensures it cooks evenly until creamy throughout. Worth your time.

First time grilling your greens? Lay them across the grill grates so they don’t fall through, and be ready to turn them—they char quickly.