£1 meals: aubergine milanese with pasta and Chinese-inspired aubergine with sticky rice – recipes

A meat-free but substantial meal with a crisp crumb topping a soft inside served with a heap of spaghetti, and marinated aubergine with sticky rice

A comparatively bulky veg that can hold its own, the aubergine can definitely be the star of the show. That’s the trick behind cooking for £1: what can I buy that is cheap, but substantial enough to fill up a plate? Aubergine has a luxuriant quality that gives it a premium status among vegetables, making it a perfect meat substitute without the disappointment.

Recipes adapted from Meat-Free One Pound Meals and Super-Easy One Pound Meals, both by Miguel Barclay and published by Headline at £16.99.