Crispy Fried Eggplant Fans
This is probably one of the most delicious ways to eat eggplant. It's crispy exterior is in perfect contrast to the buttery soft interior. Drizzle it with a yogurt sauce, hot sauce, or tomato sauce and mozzarella for different varieties.
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 320kcal
Ingredients
- 2 Eggplants
- 3/4 cup Gram flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 3/4 cup water
- 1/2 tsp Curry powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- white flour for dusting
- breadcrumbs
- oil for deep frying
Instructions
- Prepping the Eggplants
- Halve the eggplants lengthwise.
- Trim the stem. Then about 1" below the stem, slice the eggplant halves lengthwise to create a fan shape.
- Put the eggplant fans in a bowl and sprinkle them thoroughly with salt and let them rest for up to an hour. This removes the excess liquid and bitterness.
- Remove the eggplant fans and gently squeeze them while wiping them dry with a paper towel. You want a dry exterior so the batter will adhere to it.
- The Batter Station
- You will need 3 bowls.
- In the first bowl, add the white flour for dusting.
- In the second bowl, add the Gram flour and slowly pour water into it a little at a time while mixing it. This creates a smooth and thin batter, similar to a tempura batter. You don't want a thick batter. Once you've added enough water and the batter seems thin, add the baking powder, curry and salt and mix them well.
- In a 3rd bowl, add the breadcrumbs.
- Take each eggplant fan and dust them thoroughly with the white flour in the first bowl. This ensures that the eggplant will remain dry and keep the batter crispy.
- Then, dredge the eggplant fan in the batter in the second bowl. Let the excess drip off.
- Finally, dredge the eggplant fan in the third bowl of breadcrumbs, coating it thoroughly.
- Add about 2 inches of oil in a deep saucepan. Bring it to medium heat.
- Carefully fan out the eggplant as you lower it into the saucepan.
- Cook on each side until golden brown, around 10 minutes on the first side and 5 minutes on the second side.
- Remove from heat onto a cooling rack or a plate with paper towels to absorb the excess oil.
- Serve warm as a side or spice it up with a yogurt sauce, hot sauce or tomato sauce and mozzarella cheese.
Nutrition
Calories: 320kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 29g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 8g | Monounsaturated Fat: 18g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Sodium: 209mg | Potassium: 359mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 32IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 46mg | Iron: 1mg