Aubergine recipes

Thick aubergine steaks caramelise under a high grill with a sweet miso glaze until they are sticky, tender and almost meaty in the centre. They sit on a bed of cool sesame-dressed soba noodles, making this a dish that works just as well at room temperature as hot. It is bold enough to convert anyone who thinks aubergine needs to be hidden in something else.

Whole aubergines are split and stuffed with a sweet, slow-cooked mixture of onions, tomatoes, and garlic, then baked in olive oil until completely tender and collapsing. This is the classic Turkish dish whose name translates as 'the imam fainted' — allegedly from the sheer quantity of olive oil used. Serve warm or at room temperature with crusty bread and a dollop of yoghurt.

A deeply warming Middle Eastern-style stew that comes together in well under an hour, built on big cubes of aubergine that slowly melt into a spiced tomato broth alongside tender chickpeas. The aubergine practically disappears into the sauce, giving it a silky, almost meaty body that makes the whole thing taste like it has been cooking all day. Serve with flatbreads or over rice.

Deeply roasted aubergines are blended into a velvety, smoky soup with a good hit of harissa and a base of sweet red peppers and onions. The contrast of the smooth soup and the crunchy spiced chickpeas on top is what makes this dish — do not skip them. This is the kind of soup that warms you from the inside out and genuinely satisfies as a main course.