What Goes With Eggplant? 29 Best Flavour Pairings

Eggplant goes best with garlic, tahini, tomato, miso and melting cheeses like mozzarella and parmesan. Its mellow, slightly bitter, sponge-like flesh soaks up oil and sauce, so it loves bold, savoury partners and a cooling hit of yogurt or lemon.

Sauces & Condiments

• Tahini — Nutty tahini enriches smoky, charred eggplant, the base of baba ganoush.
• Miso — Sweet miso glaze caramelises on eggplant in Japanese nasu dengaku.
• Soy sauce — Salty, savoury soy sinks deep into braised and stir-fried eggplant.
• Doubanjiang — Spicy bean paste coats eggplant in Sichuan fish-fragrant eggplant.
• Harissa — Roasted eggplant drinks up harissa's smoky chilli heat.
• Olive oil — Eggplant absorbs olive oil and turns it into silky, creamy richness.
• Tomato paste — Concentrated tomato paste deepens eggplant's sweetness and umami in stews.

Aromatics

• Garlic — Garlic's intense aroma seeps into eggplant's porous flesh; a must-have partner.
• Onion — Sweet, cooked onion offsets eggplant's faint bitterness and adds body to stews.
• Ginger — Fresh ginger brightens Chinese and Indian eggplant dishes.

Vegetables & Sides

• Bell pepper — Sweet roasted peppers balance eggplant's mild bitterness in ratatouille and caponata.
• Tomato — Tangy tomato and creamy eggplant meet in parmigiana, imam bayildi and pasta alla Norma.
• Zucchini — Tender zucchini and eggplant are summer partners on the grill and in ratatouille.

Dairy & Cheese

• Mozzarella — Melting mozzarella adds creamy richness to soft eggplant layers in parmigiana.
• Parmesan — Salty parmesan seasons eggplant and bakes into a savoury golden crust.
• Yogurt — Cool, tangy yogurt cuts the oil eggplant soaks up, as in Turkish and Indian dishes.
• Feta — Crumbly, briny feta brings sharp contrast to roasted eggplant.

Herbs

• Basil — Sweet basil lightens eggplant's deeper, earthy taste in Italian dishes.
• Mint — Fresh mint cools down smoky, garlicky eggplant dips and salads.

Spices

• Za'atar — Herby, tangy za'atar is brilliant on roasted eggplant halves.
• Curry leaf — Eggplant soaks up curry leaf's fragrant oil in South Indian curries.
• Cumin — Warm, earthy cumin suits smoky baingan bharta and spiced roasts.

Acids & Citrus

• Lemon — Lemon juice brightens baba ganoush and keeps rich eggplant dishes lively.
• Vinegar — A splash of vinegar gives sweet and sour caponata its tang.

Proteins

• Lamb shoulder — Eggplant soaks up rendered lamb fat, the idea behind Greek moussaka.
• Minced pork — Savoury pork mince and silky eggplant are the heart of Sichuan yu xiang qiezi.

Grains & Starches

• Chickpea — Creamy chickpeas and spiced eggplant make hearty Middle Eastern stews.
• Rice — Steamed rice is the perfect sponge for saucy braised eggplant.
• Pasta — Fried eggplant, tomato and ricotta salata make Sicilian pasta alla Norma.

Classic combos

• Eggplant + tahini + garlic + lemon — baba ganoush, the smoky Levantine dip.
• Eggplant + tomato + mozzarella + parmesan + basil — Italian eggplant parmigiana.
• Eggplant + lamb + tomato + béchamel — Greek moussaka.
• Eggplant + miso + mirin + sesame — Japanese nasu dengaku, sweet and sticky.
• Eggplant + garlic + ginger + doubanjiang + pork — Sichuan fish-fragrant eggplant.
• Eggplant + bell pepper + capers + vinegar — Sicilian caponata, sweet and sour.

Pairings to avoid

• Too much oil, too fast — eggplant drinks oil like a sponge; brush it on or roast instead of deep-pouring, or dishes turn greasy.
• Undercooking with delicate flavours — half-cooked eggplant is squeaky and bitter and spoils any pairing; cook it until fully soft.
• Plain boiling — boiled eggplant turns grey and watery; it needs fat, heat or char to taste great.

Chef Fizz's pairing tip

Char a whole eggplant right on a gas flame until the skin is black and the inside collapses. The smoky flesh is ready for tahini, garlic and lemon, and you have made baba ganoush.