Don’t ever under-estimate the eggplant – and fried eggplant even more so! It is way more valuable, versatile and nutritious than many of us realize. Some people scorn using them, saying no way, they’re just spongy, bland and even bitter to eat. But wait! If you treat the eggplant like it should be treated, what you get is something that is silky, tender and delicious to the palate. Suddenly it’s a meal that’s suitable for dinners, snacks and even dessert, any time.
You could say the eggplant is similar to the aubergines. They’ve been used in Asia in curries and in the Middle East as the irresistible baba ghanoush. They’re an excellent healthy meat substitute too, nourishing the body with folic acid, potassium, dietary fiber, vitamin B6 and antioxidants, whilst lowering your cholesterol and blood pressure at the same time.
Don’t fret about the different varieties of the eggplant; whichever one you find will serve you well, it’s simply a vegetable loved for its resemblance to the eggs of geese and hens. There are heaps of fun ways to eat your eggplant. You can bake them whole; they can be stuffed, steamed, grilled, barbecued or fried. Fried eggplant is particularly sumptuous and so easy to prepare. Peeled bite-sized portions of eggplant are dipped into a whisked egg batter mixture and left aside for an hour or so. During this time, you could fry up your chopped onions in a little vegetable oil. When nice and golden-brown, you simply add the egg-covered eggplant to the hot oiled pan, turning and stirring for about 20-25 minutes, deliciously golden and crunchy.
Remember this vegetable is one that cannot be undercooked. It just won’t work. Cooking it thoroughly brings out the rich flavors of this king of vegetables, soaking up all the other rich flavors you have added.
Sprinkle with some extra salt, maybe some delicious spritzed lemon juice or some dry red chili slices and parsley. What you get is something like an Italian mama serving up southern fried delights. Only one warning though – this is not for the faint-hearted, because you will be salivating over these for weeks on end!
FRIED EGGPLANT RECIPE
PrintFRIED EGGPLANT
- Total Time: 1 hour 35 mins
Ingredients
- Eggplants- 600 gm
- Eggs- 3, large
- Onion ( finely chopped)-1
- Dry red chili ( sliced) -1
- Vegetable oil- 4 tbsp.
- Salt- to taste
- Black pepper- ¼ tbsp
- Parsley ( chopped)- 1 tbsp.
Instructions
- Peel the skin of eggplants and chop into bite-sized pieces.
- In a small bowl whisk eggs; then add a pinch of salt and mix well.
- Pour the egg- mixture over the chopped eggplants, mix well to coat and set aside for 1 hour.
- In a skillet/ a frying pan heat 4 tbsp. of vegetable oil. Add the chopped onion and fry until golden brown; then add the eggplants and cook 20-25 minutes, stirring from time to time. Adjust salt.
- Season with black pepper and sprinkle the sliced chilies. Garnish with the fresh parsley leaves.
- Enjoy!
- Prep Time: 1 hour 10 mins
- Cook Time: 25 mins
- Category: Vegetarian
- Cuisine: Russian
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