Fried Eggplant Recipe Ingredients

Eggplant originated in India and spread along the spice road. Technically a fruit, it is treated as a vegetable. It comes in many varieties, from small and white to large and black, each type is suited to particular styles of cooking. Some people find eggplant to be bitter, however this is easily remedied by peeling the skin. The absorbent eggplant soaks up liquids like a sponge. It's a good substitute for meat in dishes and is therefore a great choice for vegetarians.

Spices for Indian-syle Fried Eggplant

2 tsp. ground coriander
1 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. garam masala curry
1/2 tsp. red chili powder
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
1 tsp. turmeric
1 tsp. salt

Prepare Eggplant

1 large, purple eggplant, thickly sliced with the skin. Salt the slices and leave them to drain for 15 minutes. Rinse briefly and pat dry.

Batter Ingredients

4 tbsp. plain yogurt
1/4 cup chopped, fresh cilantro
1/4 cup rice flour
1/4 cup gram flour
canola oil for frying

Prepare Batter

Mix spices in a large, shallow dish. Add the ingredients for the batter and stir well. The batter should be the consistency of a cake batter.

Fry Eggplant

Heat the oil in a large, non-stick frying pan. Dip each eggplant slice into the batter, coating both sides. Carefully fry each piece until golden brown and crispy. Drain them on paper towels.

Serve

Serve the crispy fried eggplant with a chutney of your choice. Drizzle them with yogurt and wrap them and tomato slices in chappathi, an Indian-style flat bread.

Chutney for Eggplant

5 oz. plain whole-milk yogurt
4 oz. paneer (fresh cheese)
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. chaat masala
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. chili powder
1 small can tomato paste
Fresh cilantro leaves for garnish

Mix everything together in a food processor until smooth and creamy. Garnish with cilantro and serve along with fried eggplant.

References

• eggplant recipes

Resources

• The Complete Vegetable Cookbook; Vasantha Moorthy; 1995