Recipe Aubergine Side Dish

This is a recipe for how to roast eggplant in the oven so each piece is plump and juicy on the inside, and beautifully caramelised on the outside. Never again suffer through a tray of mushy mess!

The quickest way to elevate (almost) any vegetable is to roast it. And eggplant is no exception! It’s nothing interesting when raw – pretty tasteless actually.

But when you give it a good blast in a hot oven, it completely transforms.That moment when you bite through the gorgeous caramelised edges and the juicy flesh inside bursts in your mouth… UGH! So good!

Korean Steamed Eggplant Side Dish

Todays recipe is for roasting eggplant cubes. The two other common ways to roast eggplant is cut in half (like boats – here’s a recipe) or sliced into rounds (see this recipe).

The other problem some people have is that when they go to flip or serve the eggplant cubes, the caramelised skin comes off.This happens if:

So if you’re a roasted eggplant newbie, parchment / baking paper is highly recommended – this will ensure you don’t lose any of that caramelised skin! (Seriously, it will make you cry if it all gets stuck on the pan)

Roasted Aubergine Salad

Peeling – if you’re bothered by eggplant skin (which I am not – I don’t find it at all chewy), peel “zebra tripes” down the eggplant like this. If you don’t leave at least some skin on, then the eggplant cubes are prone to collapsing and turning into mush – you need some skin to hold it together.

Bitterness & salting –In the past, the standard preparation method for eggplant including salting the eggplant to remove bitterness. The eggplant of today has largely had the bitterness bred out of it so unless you have a very old, very large one, you shouldn’t have this problem. I never have, and I only salt eggplant for specific recipes (like Greek Moussaka).

However, if you can’t get your head around cooking eggplant without salting it, here’s how: sprinkle the cubed eggplant with 1 tsp salt, toss, leave in colander for 30 minutes. Rinse then thoroughly pat dry, toss with oil and pepper (NO SALT), roast per recipe.

Oven Roasted Eggplant

Select eggplants that are firm but have a bit of give, and feel heavy for their size (light = dried out inside).

I truly mean it when I say that eggplant roasted with just salt and pepper is so good, you will be completely happy to eat it plain. And that’s certainly the way I serve it most of the time. It’s so juicy, you don’t even need a sauce!

Don’t run for the hills at the thought of lentils – you haven’t tried MY lentil salad yet! It is not your usual bland and boring lentil salad, that’s for sure!

Pan Fried Eggplant With Tomato Sauce

Recipe video above. This is a recipe for how to roast eggplant in the oven so each piece is plump and juicy on the inside, and beautifully caramelised on the outside. As oposed to a mushy mess, or shrivelled up and dismal! The key is: large pieces and high oven temp.

Eggplant is actually really bland when raw, but it completely transforms when roasted. You don't need anything more than salt and pepper, but I've added some suggestions!

Peeling – if you’re bothered by eggplant skin (which I am not – I don’t find it at all chewy), peel “zebra stripes” down the eggplant like this. If you don’t leave at least some skin on, then the eggplant cubes are prone to collapsing and turning into mush – you need some skin to hold it together.

Korean Grilled Eggplant

Bitterness & salting –In the past, the standard preparation method for eggplant including salting the eggplant to remove bitterness. The eggplant of today has largely had the bitterness bred out of it so unless you have a very old, very large one, you shouldn’t have this problem. I never have.

I believe you can make great food with everyday ingredients even if you’re short on time and cost conscious. You just need to cook clever and get creative!This easy sauteed eggplant recipe transforms a classic summer veggie into a quick-cooking side dish that goes with so many mains! I have always roasted eggplant when I wanted to cook this veggie, but recently experimented with cooking eggplant on the stovetop. And you’re going to love it! Similar to sauteed zucchini, pan fried eggplant caramelizes even more than the oven version.

Just like the roasting method, cooking eggplant in a pan takes just a few common kitchen ingredients. The main difference is that pan frying takes even

Grilled Aubergine And Peppers

Time — and you don’t have to wait for your oven to heat up! (You can also try air fryer eggplant as another quick — and more hands-off — method.)

This section explains how to choose the best ingredients for crispy pan fried eggplant, what each one does in the recipe, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card below.

This section shows the best way to saute eggplant, with step-by-step photos and details about the technique, to help you visualize it. For full instructions, including amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card below.

Perfect Sauteed Eggplant In Just 15 Minutes!

This is a common practice with eggplant to remove bitterness, but most eggplants today are bred to avoid this problem. However, larger ones may still be a bit bitter so for those, you can sprinkle the slices with salt, let them sit for 30 minutes, rinse off and pat dry before cooking.

Unlike some sauteing methods, in this case we want to leave the eggplant untouched except when flipping. This will give us that beautiful, delicious browning.

Yes, you can freeze cooked eggplant slices for up to 1 year, between layers of parchment in a freezer-safe bag or container. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.

Spicy Fried Aubergines

Once you learn to cook eggplant, you'll pair it with everything! This sauteed eggplant recipe is pan fried & caramelized in just 20 minutes.

Like this video? Subscribe to my YouTube cooking channel for healthy recipes weekly! (Click the bell icon to be notified when I post a new video.)

Nutrition facts are provided as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see our nutrition policy.

Greek Eggplant And Potatoes

© Copyright Maya Krampf for Wholesome Yum. Please DO NOT SCREENSHOT OR COPY/PASTE recipes to social media or websites. We’d LOVE for you to share a link with photo instead. 🙂