Step 1

Trim: Rinse the eggplant under cold water. Use a sharp knife to cut the stem off the top of the eggplant. Turn it around and cut a small slice off of the bottom of the eggplant. Discard both pieces.

Step 2

Peel: If desired, use a vegetable peeler to peel the eggplant’s skin. You can either stand it up to peel it vertically or set it down horizontally on the cutting board, supporting it with your hand, to peel it along its length.

Step 3

To cut into rounds: Lay the eggplant on its side and carefully slice it into ½-inch thick rounds. Continue to slice until you’ve reached the end.

Step 4

To slice lengthwise: Stand the eggplant up vertically and cut it into thin slices (about ½-inch thick) from top to bottom. For particularly a long or large eggplant, lay it down on its side as you reach the end to finish slicing it horizontally.

Step 5

To dice: Follow the instructions for slicing the eggplant lengthwise. Stack the slices on top of one another and set them flat-side down on the cutting board. Cut the slices vertically into ½ inch sticks. Rotate the eggplant sticks 90 degrees and cut ½ inch slices widthwise (against the lengthwise slices). Continue cutting until the entire eggplant is diced.