How To Roast Whole Eggplant In Oven - Whole Baked Aubergine Recipe (2024)

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What Type of Eggplant Should I Buy For This Method?

I tested this recipe with both standard globe eggplants (the ones you see in the pictures) and graffiti eggplants, both of which are the most common variety of eggplants that you can find in American grocery stores.

When shopping for eggplants for roasting in the oven, there are a few things I recommend paying attention to:

1. As the TV show host Amy Thielen suggests, eggplant should be heavy for its size, firm to touch, even colored with a shiny skin, and without any bruises.
2. Take a few moments and select eggplants that are similar in size for even roasting.

With that being said, you can use this method for other kinds of eggplants like Japanese eggplants or Chinese eggplants. The time of roasting in the oven would change (possibly requiring less time) but the method would still be the same.

How To Prepare Eggplant for Baking

To prepare whole eggplants for baking:

1. Rinse: Start by rinsing them under cold water. If there is a sticker on it, this is the time to remove that as well.
2. Dry: Using a kitchen towel or paper towels, dry each eggplant thoroughly. You do not need to peel the skin.

How To Cook Whole Aubergines in the Oven

The steps for oven-roasted whole eggplant recipe are as follows:

1. Heat the oven: Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and set it aside.

2. Poke Holes: Using a fork or tip of a sharp knife, poke 7-10 ¾-inch holes throughout each eggplant. This is a crucial step to prevent the eggplant from exploding and creating a mess in your oven.
3. Arrange: Place eggplants on the baking tray on a single layer and transfer them into the preheated oven.

4. Bake in the oven: Roast until they are burst, collapsed, and softened making sure to turn them every 20 minutes. This process should take about 50-60 minutes depending on the size of your eggplants.

5. Allow them to cool: Remove from the oven and let them cool before using in your recipe.

How To Use Whole Roasted Eggplants in Recipes:

The uses for whole roasted eggplants are endless, but below are a few basic eggplant recipes to put them to use:

1. Roasted Eggplant Pulp: Slice open the belly of the roasted eggplants, scoop out eggplant flesh with a small spoon and transfer into a bowl to use in recipes like eggplant dip with yogurt, Baba ghanouj, or add it in salads (such as this Eggplant Salad), stir fries, or dips (with pita chips on the side.) You can discard the skins.
2. Stuff it with or whole grains: Using a knife, create a slit belly (from top to bottom) in the center of each eggplant, gently open it to stuff it with ground beef or lamb (like we do in Turkish Stuffed Eggplant.) Or fill it with simple grain dishes like Bulgur with Vermicelli or Seasoned Quinoa for a light lunch like I did in my Vegetarian Stuffed Eggplant recipe.
3. Remove the skin and chop it up: I think this is one of my favorite ways to cook eggplant as a side dish. To do so, gently peel the skin of the whole baked aubergines, transfer the flesh onto a cutting board and give it a rough chop. Transfer into a large bowl, drizzle with fresh lemon juice, a drizzle of olive oil, kosher salt and pepper and sprinkle it with fresh parsley. Serve it as a simple side dish with dinner recipes.

FAQs

How To Roast Whole Eggplant In Oven

Yields: 3 servings

Learn how to roast a whole eggplant in the oven to use in recipes like karniyarik (Ground Beef Stuffed Eggplants, Baba Ganoush, or Baingan Bharta.

Nutrition

Calories: 1kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Sodium: 1mg | Potassium: 2mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 1IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 1mg | Iron: 1mg