I don’t know about y’all out there in the internet land but when it comes to fried foods, I have a love-hate relationship with them. I love them. I love to eat them provided they aren’t greasy to too caloric, which is to say that I don’t actually love to eat them in reality. In theory or perhaps in my memory, I love them but I don’t like that greasy feeling coating my mouth and teeth, I don’t like the act of frying food and I don’t like the way it makes me feel afterwards.
But I do love the crispiness of fried foods so the conundrum is and has been for many years, how to achieve that crispiness without all the downsides.
The two obvious answers are baked or air fried, right? Of course. But that’s not always enough. The key with most fried vegan food is finding the right combination of breading without–again–going into the land of lots o’ calories. But today I think I have achieved the right blend of crispy and crunchy and not over the top calories.
Hooray!
I eliminated some of the common tricks I’ve seen including the crispy-maker combo of flour and cornstarch, because what they add in crispiness does not make up for what they add in calories.
This crispy eggplant recipe is baked but it totally tastes fried, calorie friendly and you can use it for all the vegan recipes that require fried eggplant such as the famous vegan eggplant parmesan. It’s not too cumbersome as a recipe since I’ve managed to eliminate one of the breading stations so…you’re welcome.
Kitchen Tools:
*Mixing bowls
*Whisk
*Baking mat (got a new one here)
*Kitchen scale
Ingredients:
*Eggplant (washed & sliced)
*Breadcrumbs
*Cornmeal
*Plant milk
*Dried herbs: oregano, basil, marjoram & tarragon
*Salt & pepper
*Garlic powder
*Smoked paprika
*Lemon juice
Instructions:
*Slice eggplant about the width of your finger, salt and pepper on both sides. Set aside.
*Make breading stations. The first is plant milk with a dash of lemon juice. The second includes the herbs & spices with the breadcrumbs and cornmeal. Whisk both to combine.
*Preheat oven to 200C/400F
*Dip each eggplant slice into the plant milk mixture so it is fully submerged and shake off any excess liquid.
*Dredge through the breadcrumb & cornmeal mixture so it is well coated and line onto the baking sheet. Repeat until you run out of eggplant.
*Bake 15 to 20 minutes, turning halfway through the cook time. Both sides should be a beautiful golden brown.
*Serve however you like including on top of pasta, as a sandwich, a snack or any other way you see fit.
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The Spicy Spatula 
Whatcha think?