Eggplant is a versatile vegetable that can be cooked in many ways, but one of my favorites is fried eggplant. Unlike traditional recipes that involve coating the eggplant with flour before frying, Italians often skip the flour and use parmesan cheese and bread crumbs instead. This Italian method results in a perfect appetizer, light meal, or side dish that is especially great when eggplant is in season. This super easy recipe for Fried Eggplant Without Egg or flour is truly a game-changer, proving that neither egg nor flour is necessary for a perfectly fried eggplant.
Delight in Fresh Flavors: Italian Fried Eggplant Without Flour Recipe
Sometimes, simple is best when it comes to in-season vegetables. With fresh produce, less is often more, and this recipe proves that 100 percent. The result is an eggplant with a crispy crust and a creamy inside. Whether you are looking for a super easy recipe or a way to enjoy Italian fried eggplant without flour, this dish is a must-try. The combination of parmesan cheese and bread crumbs creates a delightful texture that enhances the natural flavor of the eggplant, making it a perfect addition to any meal.
Italian Fried Eggplant
Fried eggplant is a popular dish enjoyed by many around the world, especially in Italy. It’s easy to prepare, delicious, and makes an excellent side dish to creamy polenta or pork tenderloin in tomato sauce. It can also be served as a main course on its own. Although eggplant is a versatile vegetable that can be cooked in different ways, I prefer frying it with breadcrumbs and Parmesan. This gives it a crunchy texture on the outside while keeping it tender and juicy on the inside.
This Italian fried eggplant recipe uses no flour, making it lighter and crisper. It is actually the way many Italians traditionally make fried eggplant. The combination of breadcrumbs and Parmesan creates a delightful crunchy texture that enhances the natural flavor of the eggplant. This method not only makes the dish delicious but also keeps it simple and easy to prepare.
Whether you are looking for an excellent side dish or a main course, this Italian fried eggplant is a must-try. Its crunchy texture and tender inside make it a delicious addition to any meal. Enjoy it with creamy polenta, pork tenderloin, or just on its own for a satisfying and flavorful experience.
Ingredients Needed
For this Italian fried eggplant recipe, you will need just a few ingredients. Start with one large eggplant and some Kosher salt. To achieve that perfect crunchy texture, use bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese. When it comes to frying, opt for vegetable oil instead of olive oil because vegetable oil can handle the high heat required for frying.
How to Choose the Best Eggplant for Frying
When selecting an eggplant to fry, it’s best to look for a longer-shaped eggplant as opposed to the round varieties. Italian eggplant comes in many varieties such as Traviata, Naida, Rosa Bianca, and Nubia, all of which are perfect for making Italian fried eggplant.
How to Prepare the Eggplant
Eggplant can have a naturally bitter flavor, so it’s important to add salt before cooking. Start with fresh and firm eggplants and cut them into ¼-inch slices. Season the slices with salt to draw out any excess moisture. Let them sit for at least 30 minutes, then pat them dry with paper towels. This salting process helps to pull the bitterness out of the eggplant.
Place the slices in a colander in the sink and sprinkle salt over them. You will know the salt is working when it turns into drops of liquid. Once this happens, rinse the eggplant to remove the salt. After completing this step, you can start to make the Italian fried eggplant recipe.
How to Make Italian Fried Eggplant
Once you have sliced and salted the eggplant, the rest of the process is quite easy. The key to a delicious coating and crispy crust is in the preparation and cooking. Let’s go through the steps to make perfect Italian fried eggplant.
First, start by breading the eggplant. In a shallow bowl, whisk together the eggs until well combined. In another bowl, mix Parmesan, bread crumbs, and salt. Take each slice of eggplant and dip it into the egg mixture first, then into the breadcrumb mixture. Place the breaded eggplant slices onto a large sheet pan. This makes it convenient to bring everything over to the stove when you’re ready to fry.
Next, fry the eggplant. Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat until it’s hot but not smoking. Fry the eggplant slices in batches until they are golden brown on both sides, which should take about 2-3 minutes per side. Once they are done, place them on a plate lined with paper towels to soak up any excess oil. I like to double up on the paper towels for this step to ensure there’s no oil left.
Making Italian fried eggplant is a straightforward process that results in a delicious dish. Whether you’re serving it as a side or incorporating it into another recipe, like a Brown Butter Lobster Ravioli Sauce, this method will give you perfectly crispy and flavorful eggplant every time.
Is Fried Eggplant Good for You?
Eggplants are a very nutrient-dense fruit, packed with vitamins and minerals that can help combat headaches and depression. They are also fiber-rich, which is great for heart health and digestive health, and keeps you feeling fuller longer—perfect for that summer swimsuit season! However, the fried part of the dish often makes us think it’s not being healthy.
You can opt for oven fried eggplant instead, which is more efficient if you’re making a baked eggplant parmesan or another dish where a crisp texture isn’t crucial. The oven-fried method doesn’t create the same crunch and won’t satisfy that fried-food craving in the same way. Eating fried food every day isn’t recommended since no amount of treadmill time can fully counteract the fried part.
There’s an increase in fat when you fry this otherwise low-fat food, but you can minimize the absorption of excess oil by choosing a good breading and executing the frying method properly. There are three types of frying: pan-frying, where the pan is barely covered with oil—good for delicate items like crab cakes or thin cutlets of chicken or pork; deep frying in several inches of oil—ideal for items like French fries and doughnuts; and shallow-frying, a happy medium, suitable for things like bone-in chicken, Hot Water Cornbread, and this eggplant recipe.
Some home cooks prefer deep fried eggplant, which works well with a batter and chunks (not slices) of eggplant. Using a coating like pancake or tempura batter, recipes for fried eggplant that incorporate deep frying yield a crispy but smooth exterior. Personally, I prefer some additional texture on my eggplant, achieved with proper breading and coarse bread crumbs. This technique works much better with the shallow frying method, where one side of the eggplant is always in contact with the hot pan, helping to sear the cooking side and create a covetable crust. The breading can make or break a recipe.
Serving Ideas
Italian fried eggplant is a great dish that can be served in many ways. It makes a wonderful appetizer or a delicious side dish to complement pasta or meat. One of my favorite things to do is to serve it with a light marinara sauce or alongside a hearty lasagna. The crispy texture and savory flavor of the eggplant pair perfectly with these dishes, making it a versatile addition to any meal.
Equipment Needed
The sturdy sheet pan is ideal for prepping and serving your Italian fried eggplant without flour with ease.
This large skillet ensures even cooking for perfectly crispy Italian fried eggplant every time.
Total Cooking Time
40 mints
Servings : 4 servings Calories: 229
Ingredients
To make Italian Fried Eggplant Without Flour, you’ll need:
1️⃣ Large eggplant
2️⃣ 2 cups of either panko breadcrumbs or regular bread crumbs
3️⃣ 2 large eggs
4️⃣ ½ cup of finely grated Parmesan
5️⃣ 1 teaspoon of Kosher salt for seasoning
6️⃣ For frying, use enough vegetable oil to come up the side of a large saute pan about ¼ inch
7️⃣ Additionally, you’ll need some kosher salt for drawing out the eggplant’s bitterness
Using these ingredients, you can create a deliciously crispy and flavorful dish. The combination of Parmesan and bread crumbs gives the eggplant a wonderful texture, while the Kosher salt enhances the overall taste. The vegetable oil ensures even frying in the saute pan, resulting in perfectly cooked slices every time. 🍆🧀🍳
Instructions
1️⃣ First, cut the eggplant into ¼ inch thick slices. Sprinkle kosher salt on both sides of the slices and place them in a colander or on paper towels to remove excess moisture for about 30 minutes. This step helps in drawing out the bitterness and makes the eggplant slices more flavorful. 🍆
2️⃣ In a shallow dish, mix together 2 cups of panko breadcrumbs, ½ cup of Parmesan, and 1 teaspoon of Kosher salt. In another shallow dish, beat 2 large eggs with a fork until well combined. Now, dip each slice of eggplant into the egg mixture and then into the breadcrumbs until they are fully coated. Place the coated eggplant onto a large plate or sheet pan. 🥚🧀
3️⃣ Next, heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat (about 350°F). Fry each coated eggplant slice until they are golden brown on both sides, which should take about two minutes per side. Remove the slices from the pan using tongs or a slotted spoon and place them on paper towels to drain excess oil. 🍳
4️⃣ Finally, you can serve the fried eggplant as is or with a side of marinara. The crispy texture and savory flavor make it a delightful dish that pairs well with many meals. 🍽️
Notes
Using a nonstick skillet and egg white to fry your eggplant can make a big difference. Before this tip, I had to replenish the oil in the skillet every couple of batches. However, with this method, there’s enough oil for many more batches even after frying a whole eggplant. How fabulous is that?
NUTRITION
Carbohydrates: 30.2g Protein: 13.2g Fat: 8.2g Saturated Fat: 4.1g Polyunsaturated Fat: 1.2g Monounsaturated Fat: 2.2g TransFat:0.02g Cholesterol: 91.2mg Sodium: 1037mg Potassium: 365.1mg
FAQS
Do you need to soak eggplant before frying?
When preparing Italian fried eggplant without flour, you might wonder if you need to soak the eggplant before frying. Soaking or brining the slices in salted water can help the spongy flesh absorb less oil and become crisp when fried. To do this, slice the eggplant into rounds, scatter 1 teaspoon of salt on top, and leave it for 30 minutes before you pat dry. This process not only makes the flesh super creamy but also enhances the overall texture and flavor.
What is the best oil to fry eggplant in?
For Italian fried eggplant without flour, the best oil to use is grapeseed oil. Heat 1/4 inch of it in a nonstick skillet over medium until it’s hot enough for frying. The ideal temperature for frying eggplant is around 365-375 degrees F. To ensure the oil is at the right temperature, you can monitor it with a deep fry or candy thermometer, or simply drop a small piece of bread into the oil.
What is the secret to cooking eggplant?
The secret to perfect Italian fried eggplant without flour is to prevent the eggplant from becoming soggy and greasy. A useful tip is to salt the sliced or diced eggplant and let it sit for an hour. This helps to draw out moisture, which reduces the amount of fat the eggplant will absorb during cooking. After an hour, rinse and drain any liquid from the eggplant, then pat dry before you start cooking.