How to Cut Eggplant
Follow this step-by-step method for how to cut eggplant three different ways for stews, bakes and soups. Learn easy practical knife skills!
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.
