I am always getting inspiration from meals I eat out at restaurants. One of my favorite things is trying new dishes out and about and seeing if I can hack them to make a copycat recipe. This recipe takes inspiration from a popular dish at an LA restaurant that my friend essentially demanded me to hack. It is a gluten free crispy eggplant with a cilantro jalapeno sauce that is crispy, fluffy and super flavorful.
Key Ingredients & Substitutions:
- Eggplant – Globe eggplant works best here, I try to find medium to skinny one for the best size ratios.
- Avocado Oil – This is used to pan fry the eggplant. You can also use another high smoke point oil here.
- Cilantro – This is the main herb in the sauce. You can also use parsley here.
- Jalapeno – This is used for a mild spice in the sauce. You can use a serrano to make it even spicier.
Crispy Eggplant with Cilantro Jalapeno Sauce
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Serves: 4
Ingredients:
- 2 eggplants, sliced into 1/2 inch rounds
- salt
- 2 eggs, whisked
- 1 cup rice flour
- 1 inch of avocado oil for frying
SubRecipe
- 1 bu cilantro
- 1 jalapeno, sliced
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- salt to taste
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1/2 cup olive oil
Preparation:
STEP 1.
Slice the eggplant and season both sides with salt, set aside for 20 minutes to draw out excess water. After 20 minutes, pat the sliced dry.
STEP 2.
Bread the eggplant. In a bowl add the whisked eggs, then in another bowl add the rice flour and season with salt. Dip the eggplant slices into the egg wash and then into the rice flour and coat on both sides. It should be lightly dusted. Transfer to a parchment lined sheet tray and do this with all of the eggplant.
STEP 3.
Fry the eggplant. In a stainless steel pan add avocado oil to coat the bottom. Turn the heat to medium and once it is hot, add a few slices of the eggplant, making sure to not overcrowd the pan. Fry for 2-3 minutes per side, until the eggplant is golden brown and crispy. Remove from the pan and do this with the remaining eggplant.
STEP 4.
For the sauce, add all of the sauce ingredients to a food processor or blender and blend until smooth.
STEP 5.
Serve the eggplant with the sauce and enjoy!
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