Aubergines

Although technically a fruit – it is related to the tomato, the aubergine is used as a vegetable.

It is normally a deep purple colour but can also be white or green and sometimes referred to as eggplant, particularly in America and Australia due to their oval egg shape.

There are many different varieties but all share the same spongy flesh when raw but soft when cooked.

They are best cut just before cooking to avoid discoloration and salting them reduces too much oil being soaked up when frying.

Very popular in Asian,

Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cooking and often used as a meat substitute in vegan and vegetarian cooking.