Currabinny Cooks: Sticky Chinese aubergine that's perfect for a midweek vegetarian dinner

This unlikely fruit is incredibly versatile and aubergines hold up well to most types of cooking such as baking, grilling, frying and even steaming

Aubergines are berries and a close relative to the deadly nightshade. This unlikely fruit is incredibly versatile, being at home in a huge diversity of cuisines from Japan, China, The Middle East and the Mediterranean. The large, deep purple, bulbous variants are of course the most common, but aubergines do come in an incredible range of sizes, shapes and colours. Aubergines hold up well to most types of cooking such as baking, grilling, frying and even steaming.

When buying aubergine, choose fruits that are heavy for their size, firm to touch and avoid any with soft or brown spots or patches. Aubergines do not store very well so buy them just before you are going to use them. Keep them in a cool dry place but definitely not in the fridge.