Super easy to both prepare and cook, I had a hot, tasty snack within 15 minutes of deciding to make these, and I even had time to snap a few photos, and make sticky figs (coming soon!). This may not be the healthiest way to enjoy eggplant, but it’s definitely delicious, and certainly a departure from my standard eggplant recipes. If you’re looking for a new way to prepare eggplant, a quick afternoon snack, or a tasty appetizer to an Indian themed dinner, these are definitely worth trying. And be sure to fry up any extra batter as a treat for yourself rather than dumping it – it’s super yummy by itself, although not as good as with hot, creamy eggplant inside!
Beguni – Bengali Eggplant Fritters
Serves 1.
- 1 small Chinese eggplant, 6-8 inches long
- coarse sea salt
- 1/2 c. chickpea flour
- 1/4 tsp turmeric
- 1/4 tsp chili powder
- 1/8 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 c. water
- canola oil
- fresh mint leaves (optional)
- Slice the eggplant into rounds about 1/2 inch thick. Lay out on a tray or plate and sprinkle with salt, and let sit ten minutes. Rinse off salt and pat dry.
- In a medium bowl whisk together chickpea flour, turmeric, chili powder, and baking powder until thoroughly combined. Add water and beat until batter is smooth. Batter should be thick but still fluid, so that it stays in a thin layer on the eggplant when dipped in it. Add more water or chickpea flour as necessary to get the right consistency (after frying a test fritter, I found that the batter needed a bit more water than the original recipe called for, which is reflected in the recipe above).
- Heat about 1/4 inch of oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. When it is shimmering, dredge the eggplant slices in the chickpea batter and place in the pan, leaving space between the fritters. Cook for about 2 minutes, then flip and cook another minute and a half. Fritters should be golden brown on both side, and eggplant should be tender in the center. Sprinkle with sea salt and serve hot. I really enjoyed eating them with a fresh mint leaf pressed on top of each fritter, but I doubt that this is traditional.
Dining and Cooking