Whether you’re an eggplant hater, skeptic, or simply not the biggest eggplant fan, this recipe is absolutely for you. If I’ve learned anything so far from my series on how people around the world eat eggplant, it’s that there are about a million ways to eat eggplant. And one of those ways is known as Rougali Bringelles:  A dish made for eggplant skeptics or devote eggplant lovers looking for a fun new way to enjoy it.

This recipe for Rougali Bringelles comes to us from Virginie who currently lives on Réunion, a French island in the Indian Ocean. Thanks to its geographical location and history, the island is home to a rich combination of cultural influences like French, African, Indian, and Creole. So it’s no surprise that the food of Réunion is a beautiful blend of so many other countries and culturals. Rougali Bringelles just happens to be a great example.

Specifically, Rougali Bringelles translates to “Eggplant” (Bringelles) in a “mixture of spices and condiments” (Rougali). In Réunion cooking, you’ll also find Rougali Dakatine, Morue, and Saucisse, but for a series on eggplants, we’ll of course be sticking to Rougali Bringelles. According to Virginie, for this dish the eggplant is charred and then mashed together with muddled red onion and red chilies and topped with some chopped green onion and parsley. From here, just about anything is possible. You can spoon this over fresh rice, eat alongside a bowl of meat stew, or enjoy as it is with a bit of fresh bread.

Virginie calls Rougali Bringelles one of her comfort foods and it’s easy to see why. This is a totally unexpected way to eat eggplant, but in an unexpectedly enjoyable way. The charred and mashed eggplant takes on an almost meat-like quality that brings in an extra savory element. Plus, the Rougali blend is bright, fresh, and spicy to really showcase the Indian and Creole influences.

For those of you who are devote eggplant lovers, I promise you’ve never had eggplant like this before. For those of you who are still on the fence about eggplant, this might just be the dish to change your mind.