Fried Eggplant (Crispy Fritters) – Panlasang Pinoy

Sometimes the best way to make a healthy dish more appealing is by adding some crispiness! That’s why we have the likes of Fried Eggplant, which you could also call Crispy Fritters. We can also refer to this as Eggplant Fritters. And as you may have predicted, at the center of this recipe are eggplants,…

Sometimes the best way to make a healthy dish more appealing is by adding some crispiness! That’s why we have the likes of Fried Eggplant, which you could also call Crispy Fritters. We can also refer to this as Eggplant Fritters. And as you may have predicted, at the center of this recipe are eggplants, which are rich in antioxidants. We combine this with green onions, flour, cornstarch and more ingredients to create a crunchy delight! 

What is Fried Eggplant (Crispy Fritters)?

Is it your first time encountering Fried Eggplant? This dish is basically a savory cake that is deep-fried to crispy perfection. Now our grated eggplants and chopped green onions add some more exciting texture to the mix. And of course, to ensure that we get something that’s satisfyingly salty, we also season this with some salt and ground black pepper. This can also be referred to as the vegetable version of Shrimp Ukoy (okoy).

This is pretty delicious on its own, but of course, here at Panlasang Pinoy, we are ready to take the flavor to the next level. That’s why I also have the steps to creating a delicious dipping sauce for our Crispy Fritters. Be prepared for a bit of heat though as we make this with some Thai chili peppers.

Ingredients for Fried Eggplant (Crispy Fritters)

The first thing on our kitchen table should be our 5 Chinese eggplants. Add your 2 eggs, 1 bunch of green onions you’ve chopped, 4 tablespoons of cornstarch, 8 tablespoons of all-purpose flour, and ½ teaspoon of baking powder too. We should also get 5 teaspoons of salt, ¼ teaspoon of ground black pepper, 2 cups of water, and 2 cups of cooking oil.

What about our sauce ingredients? Well to start, we would need 1 cup of white vinegar, and 2 teaspoons of soy sauce. There are a few more things we need to chop, which would be ½ red onion, 2 tablespoons of green onion, 3 pieces of Thai chili peppers, and 3 cloves of garlic. Finally, you should set aside 1 teaspoon of sugar, ¼ teaspoon of salt, and ¼ teaspoon of ground black pepper.

How to Make Fried Eggplant (Crispy Fritters)

You may begin by grating your eggplants in a bowl. Then add 4 teaspoons of salt, and toss everything together until you coat the eggplants perfectly. Now just let this set for 10 minutes.

Pour 2 cups of water into your bowl. Just wash your eggplants to take the salt out. Afterwards, you will need to grab the eggplants, and squeeze them to drain them of the water completely. Alternatively, you may place the eggplants in a cheesecloth. Then wring this until the water is drained.

Let’s put the flour and cornstarch in one bowl, and then mix them together. Set them aside for now. Then get a large bowl, and beat your eggs inside this. Place your eggplants, green onions, salt, and ground black pepper inside. Mix these thoroughly as well. Afterwards, you can add your flour and cornstarch mixture gradually. Then mix these well, making sure your ingredients are well-blended.

Pour your oil into a small pan. For this step, make sure that the oil is deep enough for our mixture to be able to float. Then you must scoop about 3 tablespoons of your eggplant mixture, and put this in the pan. We will fry these just until both sides get brown and crunchy. Once you have that down, you may drain the Fried Eggplant of the excess oil, and arrange this on a serving plate.

We will need another clean bowl for this. Make sure this is microwave-safe. Then just put your vinegar, sugar, salt, ground black pepper, and soy sauce inside. Microwave the mixture for 30 seconds. Take the bowl out, and stir the mixture until it is well-blended. Then you may sprinkle in your chili peppers, onion, garlic, and green onion.

Now, all you need to do is dip the crispy fritters in the sauce and enjoy!

How to Serve It

Great job on cooking up your Eggplant Fritters along with a delicious dipping sauce! Just serve these two alongside each other for a delightful meal. It’s up to you, but you could also add a side dish of choice, such as rice, to make this more filling.

How to Store

Want to keep your Fried Eggplant safe for eating for a bit longer? An easy way to store this is by placing the food in an airtight container. After closing this, you can place it in your refrigerator for a maximum of 5 days. And then when you are ready to chow down on your Eggplant Fritters again, you can just take the container out of the fridge. And to have it hot, you could reheat this in your oven for around 8 to 10 minutes.

Got any of your own tips to create a great Fried Eggplant? Share them in the comments section below!