Around different food cultures across the world, it is interesting to draw parallels with foods that we’re typically familiar with and the variations we can find outside the country. Fried foods have always been a group that most people enjoy for the amplified tastes, crunchy texture and its ability to make almost anything taste good. Nepalese cuisine, although heavy on rice, vegetables and meats, and considered to be largely healthy, has treasures like this bhanta ko taruwa or eggplant fry, that is commonly eaten as a snack around the country.
While eggplant cooked in other ways like the bharta or babaganoush might have polarising fans, fried eggplant attains a whole new sense of superiority that most other eggplant preparations fail to achieve. With the addition of a few dry spice powders, the batter takes on a chatpata flavour, lending a savoury depth to the otherwise bland and soggy eggplant. You could eat them as is, along with a cup of tea for company, or fry a batch to eat as a side with dal-chawal. Either way, this fried eggplant pleases both, the fanatics and sceptics equally.
Recipe:
Ingredients:
Also Read:
- 1 large eggplant
- 5-6 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 + ¼ cup chickpea flour
- 2 tablespoons rice flour
- 1 tablespoon coriander powder
- 1 tablespoon cumin powder
- 2 teaspoons chilli powder
- 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 inch piece ginger, minced
- ¼ cup green onions
- 1 cup water (more if needed)
- Salt to taste
Method:
- In a large bowl, mix the gram flour and rice flour along with the dry spices, minced ginger-garlic and some of the spring onions. Add some salt to taste and mix it in.
- Wash and pat dry the eggplant thoroughly, before slicing into half an inch thick discs. Make sure to spread them out on a clean surface until ready to use.
- Gradually pour the water into the flour and spice mixture until it reaches the consistency of a smooth batter, without any lumps. Do not overmix because that might result in a dense batter instead of a light and crunchy one, once fried.
- In a frying pan, pour the oil and heat it on a medium flame. Once it reaches the desired temperature, dip the eggplant slices in the batter and fry in the oil on each side for 3-4 minutes.
- Remove the eggplant on to kitchen towel-lined plates once it turns crispy and garnish with the remaining spring onions. Serve hot with ketchup.