The cultivation and use of brinjal (eggplant/aubergine) is of great antiquity. It is from India, as philological studies indicate, that brinjal moved to West Asia and Europe. The different regions of India offer a diversity of accounts, documented as part of history, of the availability of brinjal and ancient food preparations of brinjal during medieval times.
Links:
[1] http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/feature-article/antiquity-cultivation-and-use-brinjal-india
[2] http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/category/author/ramesh-v-bhat
[3] http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/category/author/s-vasanthi
[4] http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/category/journal/asian-agri-history
[5] http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/category/thesaurus/plant-breeding
[6] http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/category/thesaurus/vegetables
[7] http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/category/thesaurus/traditional-knowledge
[8] http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/category/thesaurus/religious-beliefs
[9] http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/category/thesaurus/history
[10] http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/category/thesaurus/india
[11] http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/category/thesaurus/karnataka
[12] http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/category/thesaurus/udupi-d