I am obsessed with these oven baked egg plants with a thick crunchy crust and perfect silky inside. Ooooh I can two dozen of these! Paired superbly with a lemon garlic mayo – I’ll show you how to make that too. I’m pretty sure you will thank me after this one because your kids will love it, the husband will love and everybody else we try to feed more veggies too.
Ok ok so I know you are dying to know what the crust is, so I’ll tell you right now : crushed peanuts and rice flour in a egg dip. YUP! Who the heck knew this crunchy nutty flavour would compliment with eggplants so much. Can I get a prize for this please!
Other than the mind blowing delicious taste this dish delivers an array of nutrients. Here is why YOU MUST try this recipe and make it a regular :
Eggplants don’t have a large amount of any one nutrient, but they do have a good variety of different nutrients, such as excellent amounts of fiber, folate, potassium and manganese, as well as vitamins C, K, and B6, phosphorus, copper, thiamin, niacin, magnesium, and pantothenic acid. A study found that anthocyanin phytonutrients in the skin of eggplants, called nasunin, is a potent antioxidant that zaps free radicals and protects the lipids (fats) in brain cell membranes from damage.
Peanuts have good levels of monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA), especially oleic acid. MUFA helps lower LDL or “bad cholesterol” and increases HDL or “good cholesterol” level in the blood. Peanuts are an excellent source of resveratrol, another polyphenolic antioxidant. Peanuts also contain high concentrations of polyphenolic antioxidants, primarily p-coumaric acid.
Garlic protection against bacterial, viral, parasitic infection, to bolster the immune system, discourage tumor growth, and rid the cells of free radicals with its antioxidant capabilities (1). Garlic also offers a unique set of sulfur-containing compounds that have anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative properties that make it ideal for cardiovascular support, especially against chronic degenerative cardiovascular conditions like atherosclerosis.
Recipe card below and here is the super easy method of crunchy baking eggplants.
You will want to start off with some beautifully oblong eggplants of purplish color. Wash and cut them into wedges like so. Make sure to dry on a towel to remove moisture. Starting with dry eggplants will help the egg wash to adhere better. Set aside and let’s make the crushed peanuts.
I used store bought peanuts that are already roasted and crunchy without the skin. You can however roast your own peanuts then grind them. Throw them into a grinder / processor and add 2 smoked dry peppers and a pinch of salt. Now grind until crushed well and set aside.
Prepare the rice flour with a pinch of salt, pinch of chilli powder and pinch of turmeric. Mix well and set aside. Break 2 eggs and whisk to make the egg wash. Now you have an assembly line which goes like this:
- Coat eggplant in rice flour and shake off excess.
- Dip in egg wash and coat well.
- Roll in crushed peanuts and cover thoroughly. Thick is good!
Repeat for all the pieces and line on baking tray wiped with oil.
Bake at 225* for 30 minutes or until golden crispy on the outside. There is no need to flip over and bake, the bottom part cooks well to a a crisp on the tray. And we are done!
Lemon garlic mayo is so simple. Do the following
- Take 3 tablespoon mayo in a bowl.
- Add lemon zest of half a lemon.
- add 1/2 teaspoon garlic paste.
- Mix well!
Right click to download recipe card.
- http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19929845, Antimicrobial effect of garlic (Allium sativum), Aug. 2012
Marina Farook 