Eggplants. People either love em or they hate em. For those of you who are like nah, it’s probably because of the gooey texture that eggplant has when it’s cooked? If so, I encourage you to try these crispy eggplant bites. They firm and perfectly tender when biting into them. If after trying them, you’re still like no girl, then I’ll let you off the hook.
I grew up eating eggplants. It was one of my mom’s favorite vegetables to cook, and she would usually make them stewed with tomatoes, spices, and fresh herbs. We would enjoy it with rice, beans, and whatever meat she cooked. For this recipe, I used Japanese eggplants, which I actually prefer because the ones I grew up eating were SO HUGE. Any time I buy those to make recipes, a part of it goes to waste because it yields so much. Japanese or Chinese eggplants are slim and come in varying lengths, so you can pick whichever one suits your cooking preferences.
Let’s get started with the recipe. The first thing you’ll do is slice the eggplants in 1/2″ thick rounds. Place them in a bowl with salted water for a few hours to cut the bitterness of the eggplant. Once soaked, remove from the water, rinse off, and pat the eggplant rounds dry with paper towels.
Made this? Let us know how it turned out below!
- 2 small or 1 large Japanese or Chinese eggplants
- 1/4 cup flour
- 1/3 cup cold seltzer water
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- Vegetable oil for frying
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Slice the eggplants in 1/2" thick rounds.
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Place them in a bowl with salted water for a few hours to cut the bitterness of the eggplant.
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Once soaked, remove from the water, rinse off, and pat the eggplant rounds dry with paper towels.
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In a bowl, whisk together the flour, seltzer, and salt.
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Cover a medium sized pan with oil for frying over high heat.
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Dip each eggplant round into the batter, and into the pan. Fry for 2-3 minutes, flip and fry for another minute.
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Enjoy with your favorite dips! 2 that we love are sriracha mayo (equal parts sriracha/mayo and soy sauce w/ diced scallions & toasted sesame seeds.
