But first we chop a lot of ingredients, including onions, garlic, tomatoes, & aubergines. We are also taught how to make an eggplant easier to chop. While you are chopping other stuff, you put a medium size (sort of skinny) eggplant on the burner, & keep flipping it over. Then when it sort of shrinks, you put it in a plastic bag for 20 minutes. Take it out, & just peel off the purple skin. Then CHOP!