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Epicurious

Eggplant with Cashew Butter and Pickled Peppers

4.4

(2)

Seared chunks of eggplant with peppers and herbs over sauce on white speckled plate on granite surface.
Photo by Elizabeth Cecil

Fairy tale eggplants are sweet, creamy, and never too seedy. Use them if you see them. They get simply roasted here, then served over a creamy cashew sauce that’s brightened with lime juice—make the sauce once, and you’ll want to use it on roasted vegetables year-round.

Cooks' Note

When it comes to eggplants, we generally find the smaller the fruit (yes, it’s a fruit!), the better the flavor and texture. And of all the miniature varieties cropping up at the farmers’ market right now, we’re especially digging fairy tale eggplants. They’re palm-size and streaked with purple and white. Unlike large globe eggplants, which can sport tough skins and mealy, seedy insides when cooked, fairy tales are ideal for roasting or confiting whole until tender and creamy.

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