Fried Eggplant
Golden brown eggplant drizzled with garlic tahini sauce is a Lebanese recipe favorite. Eat right out of the pan hot, warm, or room temperature--you won't go wrong in any direction here, just wait to drizzle with sauce until just before serving. Serve the eggplant with thin pita bread. It’s also delicious atop a salad of greens.
- Prep time
- 5 min
- Cook time
- 10 min
- Yield
- 4 servings
- Difficulty
- HARD
Ingredients
Quantities are shown as originally provided.
- 1 medium globe eggplant
- 1/4 cup unbleached all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon dried mint
- Few grinds black pepper
- 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 3 tablespoons tahini
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice (or plain yogurt)
- 1 clove garlic (grated or minced)
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- ice water
- pomegranate seeds
- fresh mint (chopped)
Instructions
- 1
Slice the eggplant crosswise in ¼-inch rounds.
- 2
In a small bowl or on a small plate, whisk the flour, salt, dried mint, and pepper. Dredge the eggplant in the flour and knock of any excess.
- 3
In a large sauté pan, heat 3 tablespoons olive oil over medium high heat until shimmering, but not smoking. Place the coated eggplant in the hot oil and cook until golden, about 3 minutes. Turn the eggplant and add another tablespoon of olive oil to the pan, swirling the oil to spread under the eggplant slices. Cook until golden, about another 3 minutes.
- 4
Remove the eggplant to a paper towel-lined plate to rest for a few minutes.
- 5
Make the tahini sauce. Stir the tahini, yogurt, garlic and salt. Add ice water one tablespoon at a time until the mixture is saucy enough to drizzle over the eggplant.
- 6
Arrange the eggplant on a serving platter. Spoon the sauceover the eggplant and sprinkle with pomegranate seeds and chopped mint. Serve immediately.