Aubergine 1pc

Aubergine, 1 piece — the large purple variety, known in Indian kitchens as brinjal, baingan, vankaya or kathirikkai, and in German simply as Aubergine.

The flesh is mild and spongy raw and turns silky and almost creamy once cooked, which is why aubergine is treated as a body-giving vegetable rather than a flavouring one. Roast it whole over a flame and mash it for baingan bharta; cube it for a Bengali or Andhra curry; slice and fry it for bhaja, for a batter-fried bajji, or for the Mediterranean dishes it belongs to equally — moussaka, parmigiana, baba ganoush.

Choose a firm, glossy one that feels heavy for its size. Salting the cut slices for twenty minutes and patting them dry keeps them from soaking up oil. Store in the fridge and use within a few days.