Smoked Eggplant Masala
Photo: Melissa Phillip, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer
Summer eggplants are at their peak right now. The round, purple squat ones are particularly good, since they have fewer seeds and plenty of delicious meaty pulp to play with. Smoke them, roast them, fry them or sear them, there is really no wrong way to cook them. If frying, roasting or searing, they will most likely suck up a lot of oil.