From pasta to parmigiana, curries to stir-fries, now's a better time than any to put eggplant on the menu.
Jan 27, 2023 1:56amLuckily for us, eggplants have a long season in Australia so there are plenty of opportunities to work them into your culinary repertoire. Unleash the vegetable's smoky, earthy flavours in a charred eggplant dip (we have three variations), or in our barbecued eggplant salad with goat's curd, mint and pomegranate.
For longer cook times, the Sichuanese fish-fragrant eggplant braise swill have your lips tingling with lingering spice, while the impossibly soft eggplant parmigiana looks impressive, and tastes just so. Need a quick fix for your eggplant recipe cravings? We recommend the eggplant stir-fry with tamarind, or the stew of okra, turmeric and eggplant. Come picnic season, we make a bee-line for Danielle Alvarez's summer vegetable tian (featuring eggplant, of course).
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Carrot and chilli fritters with eggplant pickle and yoghurt
Photo: James Moffatt
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Harissa-roasted lamb rump with pomegranate and eggplant
Photo: James Moffatt
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Palisa Anderson's gaeng keow wan gai (Thai green chicken curry)
Photo: Kara Rosenlund
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Eggplant and pineapple curry
Photo: John Paul Urizar
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Smoky eggplant with sumac onions
Photo: Alicia Taylor
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Dainty Sichuan's fish-fragrant eggplant (yu xiang qie zi)
Photo: Mark Roper
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Smoky eggplant and capsicum dip with pita bread
Photo: Will Horner
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Tony Tan's eggplant and broad beans with soy-sesame dressing
Photo: Ben Dearnley
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Dry curry of lamb and eggplant
Photo: Ben Dearnley
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Good Luck Pinbone's Sichuan chilli eggplant with wood-ear fungus
Photo: Ben Hansen
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Capitano's caponata
Photo: Ben Dearnley
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Barbecued eggplant salad with goat's curd, mint and pomegranate
Photo: James Moffatt
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Hanuman's eggplant pachadi
Photo: William Meppem
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Calamari with spiced eggplant
Photo: Will Horner
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Dandelion's Hmong spicy eggplant mash
Photo: Sharyn Cairns
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Bone marrow with pickled eggplant salad
Photo: William Meppem
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Pork and eggplant salad with salted chilli
Photo: William Meppem
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Brent Savage's coal-roasted eggplant with black garlic
Photo: Alicia Taylor
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Sichuan braised eggplant
Photo: Mikkel Vang
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Photo: William Meppem
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Spiced lamb with eggplant salad
Photo: William Meppem
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Lau's Family Kitchen's eggplant stuffed with taro
Photo: Con Poulos
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Roast eggplant, 'nduja and scamorza
Photo: Ben Dearnley
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Analiese Gregory's flatbread with miso eggplant and urchin
Photo: Adam Gibson
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Victor Liong's grilled eggplant with sesame, cumin and chilli
Photo: Alicia Taylor
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Shane Delia's poached chicken salad with harissa, eggplant, spring onion and tahini
Photo: Rob Shaw
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Charred prawns, eggplant and chickpeas with roast tomato vinaigrette
Photo: Ben Dearnley
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Burrata with char-grilled eggplant
Photo: Prue Ruscoe
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Eggplant, tofu and sugarsnap peas with ginger and soy dressing
Photo: Ben Dearnley
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Grilled eggplant salad with lentils and sesame yoghurt
Photo: Prue Ruscoe
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Longsong's eggplant salad with shallots and salted ricotta
Photo: Mark Roper
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Palisa Anderson's yum makeua (grilled eggplant salad with prawns)
Photo: Kara Rosenlun
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Smoky eggplant and walnut dip
Photo: Ben Dearnley
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Blue Nile's Ethiopian eggplant dip
Photo: John Paul Urizar
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Charred miso eggplant with nori and sesame
Photo: Chris Chen
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Chickpeas with steamed eggplant and almonds
Photo: Aimee Jones
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Quick okra, eggplant and turmeric stew
Photo: William Meppem
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Christine Manfield's eggplant sandwich
Photo: William Meppem
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Prime-rib minute steak, spiced eggplant and lemon couscous
Photo: Mark Roper
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Eggplant zaalouk
Photo: William Meppem
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Eggplant parma jaffles
Photo: Dean Wilmot
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Stir-fried eggplant with sweet tamarind sauce
Photo: Chris Court
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Dan Hong's crisp eggplant with fish-fragrant sauce
Photo: Jason Loucas
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Roast eggplant, tomato and basil spelt pasta
Photo: Ben Dearnley
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Papoutsakia
Photo: Prue Ruscoe
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Danielle Alvarez's summer vegetable tian
Photo: Ben Dearnley
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Eggplant parmigiana
Photo: William Meppem
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Miznon's eggplant lines
Photo: Ben Dearnley
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Burnt honey and teriyaki Japanese eggplant
Photo: Ben Dearnley
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