Japanese Eggplant With Cashews and Chiles

When roasted until creamy, Japanese eggplant is great with just about anything. But our current favorite pairing is with a topping inspired by the flavors of Mexican salsa macha, made with crispy sliced garlic, golden nutty cashews, and Fresno chiles, which add just the right amount of mellow, fruity heat. It might seem repetitive to keep pouring each ingredient and the oil you’ve cooked it in through a strainer before returning the oil to the pot for the next round, but it’s crucial to keeping all the components crispy; you may recognize the technique from recipes for homemade chili crisp.

You can find Japanese eggplant at the farmers market in the summer or year-round at an Asian grocery store—or roast a globe or Italian eggplant instead (they’re larger and will need more time in the oven) and top with the same textural topping.