One of the last easy dishes they served was a soft velvety eggplant dish, fried with green peppers and tomatoes and a side of hot bread to blow all the goodness. Let me tell you, our band was hooked up! A dish so simple with so much flavor.
Fried eggplant quick meal full of flavor with green peppers and tomatoes. This humble Mediterranean snack dish makes an excellent vegetarian dish with your favorite grain or hot pita bread. It can also be served as a side dish, or as an aperitif with other favorite mezze.
The essence of this recipe for fried eggplant
When we are talking about fried eggplant, the first picture that comes to mind is something covered with a kind of dough involving eggs and breadcrumbs or flour (as we do with eggplant parmesan
You do not need dough or breadcrumbs for this dish of vegan eggplant, but it is so comforting and delicious!
The gist. Here, the naked and finely sliced eggplant is perfectly fried tender you get a large golden brown color and crispy edges too.
And using the same method, we fry green peppers. Although they are pleasant and warm, we season fried eggplants and green peppers with sumac, which brings great depth and a subtle and agile touch.
Finally, we fry the sliced tomatoes with a good amount of fresh garlic. The mixture of tomatoes and garlic is chopped with a touch of vinegar, creating a little spicy sauce that is superimposed on the eggplant and previously fried peppers.
Believe me, this little vinegar beak is not at all overwhelming, and it gives so much shine and rounds this beautifully fried eggplant dish.
What healthy oils to use for frying?
As for the type of oil to use for frying, you have different additional options: sunflower oil, avocado oil or quality extra virgin olive oil. First of all, a few things to remember with this particular recipe:
1. We will not fry eggplant here, you will probably use about ½ cup or something like this oil (you want about ¼ inch in the pan to start, add as needed if the oil falls too much)
2. For this fried eggplant recipe, your frying oil should be between 350°F and 375°F maximum.
The smoke point for quality extra virgin olive oils is usually 405 degrees F or higher (depending on quality). The key is to heat the EVOO enough to shine but not smoke, so you have to look and be careful.
Keep in mind that the typical extra virgin olive oil you can find in a local grocery store has a much lower smoke point than other oils.
If you have not used extra virgin olive oil which often, especially in frying, it may be safer for you to use another choice of healthy cooking oil like sunflower oil or avocado oil.One of my friends recommends this avocado oil, which she says has a high smoke point of 490 degrees F.
Do you peel eggplant before frying?
For this recipe purpose, do not eggplant hair. Eggplant peel is edible and nourishing. And when fried, finely sliced skins of eggplant rounds will create wonderfully sharp edges. But, if the skins are not too beautiful or if you are working with an extra large eggplant that is older, the skin could be harder and therefore it might be a good idea to peel it off.
How to prevent fried eggplants from soaking or be soggy ?
Oh, the million dollar question. How to fry eggplant and make sure that it does not soak. When frying eggplant, there is a risk that due to its fluffy nature, it absorbs excess oil and quenching. These two things can help:
salt your eggplant before cooking
To do this, cut the eggplant into rounds. Sprinkle with kosher salt and lay out on paper napkins. This allows the eggplant to sweat its moisture for a few minutes. This step is discussed among cooks, but in my experience, this small step of salting your eggplant before frying helps in two ways:
Breaks down the fluffy texture of eggplant
It provides a better taste than the eggplant salt season from the inside. And if the eggplant has a touch of bitterness, you will have a chance to sweat a little from it.
Drain excess oil.
As soon as you fry a few slices of eggplant, place them a little on paper towels to allow excess oil to drain. I do the same thing with green peppers, actually.
Some safety tips
Use a large splash screen
Trust me, even when you so carefully place the slices of green pepper or eggplant in your cooking oil, it will splash. I use two important tools to keep my hands safe: a pair of long tongs to carefully place vegetables in the cooking oil remotely, and a splash screen large enough to cover the pan. Also for your safety
Manipulate the heat
You will cook eggplants, green peppers and tomatoes in batches. It is useful to reduce heat by placing a new batch of vegetables in cooking oil. This minimizes oil splashing. You can increase the heat and place the splash screen from there.
How to make this recipe for fried eggplant
- Cut the eggplant into rounds and place on a large baking sheet or baking sheet lined with paper towels. Sprinkle generously with kosher salt on both sides. Let the eggplant stand for at least 30 minutes if you have time, leave it for 1 hour). Type dry when ready. Meanwhile work on preparing the rest of the ingredients.
- Heat ½ cup oil in a large heavy frying pan. Begin by frying the green pepper (the side of the skin down first) until golden brown. Do it in batches and very carefully, please. Keep the distance while you put the peppers in hot oil (use a pair of long tweezers and a splash screen as mentioned in the tips above). Place fried peppers on paper napkins for draining. Sprinkle with salt and a generous pinch of sumac.
- Then fry the eggplant slices. Important tip: if your oil is not hot enough, eggplant will absorb too much. Medium-high heat should be fine. Again, be careful while frying eggplant and use a pair of long tweezers and a start screen.
- Fry eggplant on one side until you see the edges become golden, then turn over to the other side. When the eggplant becomes a pleasant golden brown, remove from the oil with a spatula or its tweezers.
- Place fried eggplant on a paper towel to drain. Sprinkle with salt and a generous pinch of sumac (1 teaspoon or more)
- Fry tomatoes and garlic. Finally, fry tomatoes and garlic. If necessary, add a little more oil to the pan. First let the tomatoes fry for about two minutes, then add the garlic. Cook together for about 4 to 5 minutes more.
- Tomatoes should collapse and become super tender, becoming a bright orange. Add a little white vinegar; about two tablespoons. Season with salt and more sumac.
- Now gather the party. Assemble the dish of fried eggplant. Take a serving dish. Layer the vegetables starting with a lower layer of eggplant. Garnish with green peppers and tomatoes. Repeat as needed. Finish with a garnish of fresh herbs (I used mint, but parsley works) and walnut hearts (completely optional).
Serve with
If you serve this eggplant dish (bowl) as a vegetarian dish, you don't need more than a little hot pita or maybe a bed of Lebanese rice. And if you want, a good salad to begin with, let's go with Balela.
You can also serve it with grilled shrimp kabobs, roasted trout or Greek lamb. And if frying does not suit you, try this recipe for roasted (crunchy) eggplant. You can find more in our collection of eggplant recipes; caponata and rollatini are two favorites
Ingredients
1 large eggplant washed, dried, cut into ½” round
kosher salt
2 large green peppers washed, dried, cut into 1"- wide strips
5-6 large slices of tomato washed, dried, cut into ½ “round
5 cloves of garlic about chopped
2 teaspoons (tsp) or more sumac
2 tablespoons (tbsp) white vinegar
½ cup healthy cooking oil more to need (see post above for more information)
¼ cup optional walnut hearts ½ cup fresh mint leaves or parsley to garnish optional
Instructions To Cook:
- Spread eggplant slices on paper napkins and generously sprinkle with kosher salt. Let stand for 30 minutes to sweat any bitterness. Type dry when ready.
- Heat the oil over medium-high heat (make sure the oil shines but does not smoke). Start by frying the green peppers, the side of the skin down, until the skin becomes tender and the skin becomes brown. (Do this carefully and use a splash screen as recommended). Remove from heat and place on paper towels to drain. Sprinkle with a little salt and a generous sprinkled with sumac.
- In the same frying pan, now fry the eggplant. Do this very carefully (use tweezers to keep the distance and a start screen to cover the pan or pan). The oil should still be hot or otherwise the eggplant will absorb too much. When the edges on one side turn golden brown, turn over. When the eggplant becomes golden on both sides, remove from heat and place it on paper towels for draining. Sprinkle generously with sumac.
- If necessary, add a little oil to your frying pan. Now fry the tomatoes for two minutes, then add garlic. Cook for another 4 to 5 minutes, gently pulling. Lower the heat and add 2 tablespoons of vinegar, salt and a generous pinch of sumac. When the tomatoes are tender, releasing juices and turning bright orange, turn off the fire.
- Assemble the dish of fried eggplant pieces. Take a large serving dish, put a little eggplant on the bottom, then add green peppers, then salted tomatoes on top. Repeat as necessary until you have all the vegetables on your tray. Garnish with hearts of fresh mint and nuts.
- Serve hot or at room temperature with a side dish of Lebanese pita or rice, and enjoy every bites.
Cook Time: 26 mins