How to Deep Fry Eggplant

Whether as a side dish or as an appetizer, tempura is a fun way to eat a vegetable. Tempura originated with the Japanese; it consists of a light batter coating vegetables or seafood, which is then deep-fried. Common presentations today group a variety of vegetables which have been deep fried tempura style.

Things You'll Need

• Oil, either peanut or vegetable oil
• Deep fryer
• Eggplant
• Flour
• Seasonings, such as salt, pepper and garlic
• Eggs
• Water
• Paper plates for breading station
• Several bowls
• Tongs and spoons
• Paper towels
• Dipping sauce, such as marinara

Instructions

1. Heat the oil in the deep fryer. Use vegetable or peanut oil and heat to approximately 365 to 375 degrees F. The temperature depends on the fryer and the number of eggplant slices to be deep fried.

2. Wash the eggplant. Slice the eggplant into 1/4 inch thick slices. Cutting the eggplant on the diagonal makes for interesting presentation.

3. Prepare the tempura batter. Combine approximately 1 cup of flour with seasonings, such as salt, pepper and garlic. Add one beaten egg. Whisk the mixture together until firm; add a little cold water to thin into a batter. A pre-packaged tempura mix may be substituted.

4. Dip the eggplant slices into the tempura mix. Coat completely and shake off any excess batter. Place the coated eggplant slices on a side plate. Continue to coat the eggplant until there are enough coated eggplant slices to fry in a batch.

5. Place the eggplant slices into the deep fryer carefully. Stir with a spoon to keep the slices from sticking together. Fry the eggplant slices until golden brown, approximately 2 to 4 minutes. Remove from the deep fryer. Drain on paper towels.

6. Serve when slightly cooled. Serve with dipping sauce, such as marinara.

Tips & Warnings

• Add the tempura eggplant to the deep fryer basket after the basket has been lowered into the hot oil. This will prevent the eggplant from sticking to the basket.

• Serve the deep fried eggplant with a variety of dipping sauces; this adds an individual touch to the dish.

• Pat the eggplant dry after washing. This will help the batter to stick to the eggplant.

• Never allow children near hot oil or a deep fryer while cooking.

• Always follow the manufacturer's recommendations when operating a deep fryer.

• Always follow food and kitchen safety rules. Prevent salmonella cross-contamination when working with raw eggs; wash hands and surfaces with soap and hot water and dry with paper towels. When working with hot oil, always have a fire extinguisher available.