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Sharpen your knife skills as you learn to cut eggplant in three different ways. Eggplant appears in many Mediterranean recipes from Italian Eggplant Parmesan to Greek Moussaka and Middle Eastern Baba Ganoush. Its ability to work with many different flavors makes it a natural for vegan and vegetarian dishes, too.
Eggplant contains iron, calcium, fiber and lots of vitamins. The purple skin boasts an antioxidant which is believed to be good for your heart.
How to cut eggplant
Before you cut the eggplant, you should decide if the recipe requires you to peel the eggplant. If it’s not specified, keep the peel for extra fiber and nutrients. If using Chinese or Japanese eggplant you can leave the skin on as it is thinner.
Check out below for the most popular 3 methods of cutting eggplant. Note that the thicker the slice the better it will cook. It will allow a creamier texture in the middle. The first step for any cut is slicing the green stem some of the eggplant’s bottom.
Slice lengthwise
- Stand the eggplant up vertically.
- Make 1/2″ vertical slices from top to down.
Slice into rounds
- Lay the eggplant on its side.
- Make 1/2″ slices across the eggplant.
Cut into cubes
- Stand the egg up vertically and make 1/2″ vertical slices.
- Lay the eggplant down on its side.
- Slice each of these vertical slices into sticks.
- And finally, cut the stickers into the desired cube size.
Tips for cutting eggplant
- Start with the freshest eggplant you can find. Look for bright, shiny purple skins and veggies with no bruises or soft spots. They should feel heavy for their size and their firmness will make it easier to cut them.
- Use a sharp large knife. This will make cutting so much easier and it will give you the most precise cuts.
- Preserve the eggplant slices longer with lemon. If you are worried about your slices turning brown, brush them with lemon juice.
Recipes with eggplanT
- Middle Eastern Eggplant Stew
- Baked Eggplant Parmesan
- Stuffed Eggplant
- Easy Eggplant Moussaka
- Grilled Eggplant
- Eggplant Pasta Casserole
- Lebanese Baba Ghanoush
- Ratatouille Recipe
- Stir Fried Eggplant
- Eggplant Curry
- Eggplant Stew
Frequently asked questions
Salting preps the eggplant for cooking so that it absorbs less fat and grease.
Yes, mostly. The large meaty purple globe variety, aka American, is the most common in the US. It is great for recipes calling for plentiful, thick slices of eggplant. The smaller, thinner-skinned Asian varieties can be sweeter, though.
Do not let it sit in the fridge too long. While technically, eggplants are edible if refrigerated for up to two weeks, the older the eggplant, the more bitter it can be, so better to consume sooner. Also, bigger is not better here. Very large eggplants tend toward bitterness.
Store the eggplant in an airtight container in the fridge for up to one week. Brush them with lemon juice to slow down the browning process.
With their creamy, substantial texture, eggplants make a great stand-in for meat in a wide range of dishes. Baked, fried, or grilled, eggplants are an endlessly versatile but sometimes under-appreciated vegetable that fits into any cuisine. And now you know how to slice and chop them to use in any recipe that calls for them!
For more cutting skills tutorials:
- How to Cut a Tomato
- How to Cut an Onion
- How to Cut a Bell Pepper
- How to Cut an Avocado
- How to Cut Lettuce
- How to Cut Cauliflower
- How to Cut Green Onions
- How to Cut Brussel Sprouts
- How to Cut a Kiwi
- How to Cut a Peach
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How to Cut Eggplant
Ingredients
- 1 Eggplant
Instructions
- Remove the top and about ¼” of the bottom of the eggplant. You can leave the peel on or remove it using a sharp paring knife or peeler.
- Then cut into desired shape
- Slices: Stand the eggplant up vertically and make ½” vertical slices.
- Rounds: Lay the eggplant on its side and make ½” slices across the eggplant
- Cubes: Stand the eggplant up vertically and make ½” vertical slices. Then slice each slice into sticks. And finally, cut the sticks into desired cub size.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.
Excellent tutorial.
So glad you found it helpful!