Impress your guests at your next dinner party with this best-breaded eggplant recipe! Simple yet elegant, this dish is sure to wow your guests with its crispy exterior and melt-in-your-mouth interior. Pair it with a glass of red wine for the perfect dining experience.
In our area, eggplant is a trendy vegetable and appears in countless recipes, from eggplant casserole ( moussaka ) to eggplant dip or ratatouille.
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Breaded eggplant is a classic dish perfect as a side dish, appetizer, or main course. With its crispy exterior and soft and tender interior, breaded eggplant is sure to please even the pickiest eaters. In this blog post, we’ll share our favourite recipe for breaded eggplant, complete with tips and tricks to ensure a perfectly crispy and flavorful outcome every time. Whether you’re a seasoned or novice chef, this recipe will become a staple in your kitchen. So let’s get started and learn how to make the best-breaded eggplant ever!
Usually, eggplant recipes do not require a long cooking time and have a pleasant texture. And our recipe today will be simple and easy to make but very tasty.
The Ingredients Used
We need two medium-sized ripe eggplants that we will slice, and it’s enough for six servings.
We will also use three large eggs, 100 g of wheat flour, 100 g of breadcrumbs and 50 g of grated cheddar cheese.
Let’s Prepare the Ingredients
As I said, we will slice the eggplants into not-very-thin slices. I like the texture of eggplants to feel good when you eat them.
After slicing the eggplant, put them in a bowl, season with sea salt and let them sit for about 15-20 minutes. During this time, the salt will remove some of the bitter juice from the eggplant, and they will be tastier.
It’s worth noting that not all eggplants require salting before breading, especially if they are young and fresh. However, notice that the eggplant tastes bitter or feels exceptionally moist. Salting can be a helpful step to ensure a successful and tasty outcome.
During this time, prepare the rest of the ingredients. In a bowl, beat the eggs and season them with just a little ground pepper because the eggplants are already salted. In another bowl or plate, put the wheat flour.
On the third plate, put the breadcrumbs, grate over the cheddar cheese, and mix them to homogenize.
Frying the Eggplants
For this, we first drain the eggplant from the juice left, but it is unnecessary to dry them completely. We take the slices individually and pass them through the wheat flour.
After flour, pass them through beaten eggs to be well covered on both sides.
And finally, pass them through the breadcrumbs and grated cheddar cheese mixture.
Now, all we have to do is to fry them. Take a frying pan that heats 500 ml of sunflower oil for this. Add a little more oil so that the eggplant slices are deep-fried. The oil should be at a medium temperature not to burn them too fast.
Fry the breaded eggplant slices on one side for a few minutes until they turn golden, then turn them on the other.
After the slices are fried on both sides, take them out in a bowl lined with a paper towel to drain the oil.
Continue until finishing the whole amount of sliced eggplant. That’s it; I believe this is the best-breaded eggplant recipe, which you can now serve.
Frequently Ask Questions (F.A.Q.)
Is it better to fry or bake eggplant?
Both frying and baking eggplant can be delicious options depending on your preference and dietary requirements.
Frying eggplant typically yields a crispy, golden exterior with a soft and tender interior. However, frying can also result in a higher calorie content due to the added oil.
Baking eggplant is a healthier option as it requires less oil and produces a softer texture. Baked eggplant is also a good option for those with dietary restrictions, such as those following a vegan or gluten-free diet.
Why do you soak eggplant before cooking?
Soaking eggplant before cooking is a common technique used to reduce the eggplant’s bitterness and prevent it from absorbing too much oil during cooking.
Eggplants contain a naturally occurring compound called solanine, which can cause a bitter taste. Soaking the eggplant in salt water draws out some of the bitterness, resulting in a sweeter and more palatable flavour.
Should you salt eggplant before breading?
Salting eggplant before breading is a common technique used to reduce bitterness and moisture in the eggplant, which can help the breading to adhere better and prevent the eggplant from becoming too soggy.
When you salt the eggplant, it draws out excess moisture from its flesh and breaks down some of its bitter compounds, making it more tender and flavorful.
Serving the Breaded Eggplant?
Breaded eggplant is a delicious dish that can be served in various ways. Here are some suggestions:
- As a side dish: Breaded eggplant is a great side dish for a main course. Serve alongside your main dish.
- In a sandwich: Breaded eggplant can also be used as a filling in a sandwich. Layer slices of breaded eggplant with your favourite toppings, such as lettuce, tomato, and cheese, and enjoy.
- In a wrap: For a quick and easy meal, wrap breaded eggplant slices with your favourite vegetables and condiments in a tortilla or wrap.
- As an appetizer: Breaded eggplant can be served as a tasty appetizer serving with a dipping sauce, such as marinara or ranch dressing.
No matter how you choose to serve it, breaded eggplant is a versatile and delicious dish that will satisfy you.
Or, if you want, you can mix a garlic dip as in the battered fried zucchini recipe, which will be delicious!
Here are some other appetizer recipe ideas from our blog:
- Deviled Eggs Without Vinegar
- Smoked Mackerel Spread
- Eggplant With Minced Pork
- Vegan Guacamole
- Spinach and Feta Rolls
- Creamy Mozzarella Polenta
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Best-Breaded Eggplant Recipe
Equipment
- 1 mixing bowl
Ingredients Â
- 2 pieces eggplants medium-size
- 3 pieces eggs large
- 100 g wheat flour
- 100 g breadcrumbs
- 50 g cheddar cheese grated
- 2 tsp sea salt kosher
- 1 tsp ground pepper freshly ground
- 500 ml sunflower oil
InstructionsÂ
- Slice the eggplant into not very thin slices. Put them in a bowl, season with sea salt, and sit for about 15-20 minutes. In a bowl, beat the three eggs and season them with just a little ground pepper; put the wheat flour in another bowl or plate. In the third plate, place the breadcrumbs and the grated cheddar, and mix them to homogenize.
- First, drain the eggplant from the juice left, but there is no need to dry them completely. Take the slices one by one, pass them through the wheat flour, and then give them through beaten eggs to be well covered. Finally, pass them through the mixture of breadcrumbs and grated cheddar cheese.
- Take a pan in which heat sunflower oil. The oil should be medium hot, and you must fry them over medium heat. Fry the eggplant slices on one side for a few minutes until they turn golden, then turn them on the other side.
- After the eggplant are fried on the other side, take them out in the bowl lined with a paper towel to drain the oil.
- Serve them hot as an appetizer or with a slice of lemon. Also can be served as a side dish or even as in a sandwich.
