I'm all frittie 2 - eggplant fritters

This is another recipe for fritters but this time using eggplants. I found this recipe from Family Circle Omelettes,Pancakes & Fritters Cook book. I did modify the recipe a tad to suit my taste bud. The recipe called for besan flour which I didn’t have in hand so I used regular flour instead. Besan flour is ….

Gram flour, not to be confused with Graham flour, is also known as chana flour or besan. It is a staple ingredient in Indian cuisine, and is used in various foods such as sweets and bombay mix. It consists of ground chana dal, which is also known as Bengal grams in some localities. (Chickpeas are larger and light brown in color and are used in making items like falafel, while chana are smaller and dark brown in color.)
Vegetables deep-fried in gram flour batter are known as pakoras. When onions are fried they are known as onion bhajis.
Gram flour contains carbohydrates and hence may not be suitable for low-carbohydrate diets, but it is suitable for gluten-free diets.
It is also used as a facial exfoliant, something that is very popular in India and Pakistan, by making a paste by mixing it with water and sometimes plain yogurt as well.
In Myanmar, gram flour is used to make Burmese tofu.. (source:wikipedia.com)

Here is a picture of the pulse used for making the gram flour & the grinded flour

The recipe also called for beer which I don’t drink so obviously I have none in hand lol so I used water instead. I added extra spices to make it spicier. Whether you call it an eggplant, an aubergine or brinjal its all the same thing except for the different shapes in sizes it comes in.

the vegetable with many names

It’s a smooth, purple vegetable that is found in all sorts of dishes all over the world. Writing this reminds me of the eggplant we had to draw in school during art class. Ahh yes those were the days. Anyways either as a dish on its own or combined with other vegetables for stews, soups, salads its still a delectable vegetable. Here the local eggplant we call it brinjal and it’s usually put in curries and sometimes fried as a stir fry vegetable. The imported ones we call an eggplant don’t ask me why cause I don’t know: P .. But I know it’s slightly more expensive and its an hour glass shaped vegetable. Same family that’s for sure.

These eggplant fritters are good on its own or with a yogurt dip or for many of us the chili sauce and tomato ketchup are things we can’t do without as dips. Personally I enjoy it on its own and with the dip and I wouldn’t recommend the chili sauce and tomato ketchup but as they say to each his own.. So without further ado here is the recipe for ‘Eggplant Fritters’

Eggplant Fritters

Ingredients: (serves 4-6)
1 large long eggplant
1 tbsp salt
2 tbsp besan flour ( I used all purpose flour)
¼ tsp black pepper
¼ cup self raising flour
½ cup besan flour , extra
2 eggs lightly beaten
½ cup cold beer ( I used water)
2 tsp lemon juice
½ tbsp cumin powder
½ tbsp coriander powder
¼ tbsp turmeric powder
½ tbsp chili powder
½ tsp cumin seeds
2/3 cup olive oil

Directions:
1-Cut eggplants into 20 or so slices about 5 mm thick. You can however cut it
into thicker pieces if you like. Sprinkle both sides of each slice with salt.
Leave to stand in a colander for about 20 mins. Rinse the eggplants under
water; drain well and pat dry with paper towel.

- the eggplant & the sliced pieces

2-Combine the 2 tbsp of flour with pepper and about a quarter of the rest of the spices; enough to dust the eggplants with. Dust eggplant lightly and shake off excess.

- the dusted eggplants

3- Sift the remaining flours into a medium mixing bowl and add in all the remaining spices and cumin seeds into a medium mixing bowl; make a well in the centre.
4-Add eggs, water & lemon juice. Beat until all liquid are incorporated and batter is free of lumps.

- the batter

5- Heat oil in a large heavy based frying pan. Using a fork, dip floured eggplant into batter a few pieces at a time; drain off excess. Cook eggplant in oil for 2 mins or until underside is golden and crisp. Turn fritter over and cook the other side.
6- Transfer to large plate and keep warm. Serve with chilled yoghurt dip

- the finished product

Yogurt Dip
Ingredients
200gms yogurt
2 tbsp finely grated onions
½ tsp dried mint leaves. ( I use fresh ones more aroma)
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp ground coriander
Pinch ground cumin
Directions:
Beat all ingredients in a small bowl until well combined. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate.

You can always adjust the taste of the batter. You can use the spices or not at all. So hope everyone enjoys this ... Happy Cooking!