Category: Recipes, Nature's bounty, Vegetables | Post by: Andrea Wong
My history with eggplant has been a turbulent one. Eggplant was one of those veges that I refused to eat, as a child. I think that it was the mushy texture that I didn't like.
Now that I'm older and (slightly) wiser, I do eat eggplant, although I seem to have developed an allergy to it! Some things it seems, are not destined to be on your side. Despite this, I have stubbornly powered on.
I like dishes that showcase the main ingredient. This usually means cooking it simply. When it comes to food, simple is often best!
I first had crumbed eggplant in Italy at a friend's house, while I was backpacking with some friends. I should have asked for the recipe. It was a simple dish and since I just had my memory to go on, I devised my own version.
Eggplant browns quickly after being sliced, so the trick is to have everything ready before cooking it. If the eggplant is young, you don't need to peel it before cooking. Small varieties, like those used in Thai cooking don't need to be peeled either. This means one less thing to do, which is all good in my book!
Crumbed eggplant
Ingredients
1 eggplant
1 egg, beaten
1/2 c flour
1 c bread crumbs
2 tsp dried oregano (1 tsp fresh oregano)
pinch of cayanne pepper
1/2 tsp salt
4 Tbsp oil (I used canola oil)
Directions
- Put the flour, egg and breadcrumbs in three separate shallow dishes
- Mix the oregano, cayenne pepper and salt into the breadcrumbs
- Heat the oil in a frying pan over a medium heat
- Cut the eggplant into 1-2 cm slices
- Coat the eggplant slices in flour, then egg, then breadcrumbs
- Fry the eggplant in batches, a couple of minutes on each side until golden brown.
Serve immediately with your favourite chutney.