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You are here: Home / All Recipes / Garam Masala Eggplants

Garam Masala Eggplants

We love eggplant for its ability to soak up flavors. The downside is how the eggplant flesh turns soggy fast when cooked longer than is necessary. One solution is to dip eggplant in well-seasoned batter. The eggplant soaks up the flavors in the batter while the batter turns crispy during frying.

Garam masala eggplants

Two tips for cooking this deceptively simple dish:

  1. Use rice flour. Unlike wheat flour, rice flour is gluten-free and, therefore, makes a crispier crust. Make sure, however, that you use regular rice flour and NOT sticky rice flour.
  2. Do the frying in batches to prevent the temperature of the oil from dropping too much. This ensures that the batter turns crispy before the eggplant flesh gets overcooked and soggy. How many slices per batch depends on the size of the eggplant rings and the size of the pan.

Garam Masala Eggplants

Recipe by Connie Veneracion
Sliced eggplants are dipped in spiced batter and fried on both sides until a crispy crust forms on the surface.
Serve garam masala eggplants as a side dish or a meatless main course.
For the best experience, enjoy with yellow rice.
Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 10 mins
To cook the yellow rice 20 mins
Course Main Course, Side Dish
Cuisine Asian Fusion
Servings 4 people
Garam masala eggplants with yellow rice and kaffir lime halves on acacia plate
Print Recipe

Ingredients
  

Yellow rice

  • 2 cups jasmine rice
  • 1 teaspoon grated turmeric
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 stalk lemongrass
  • 2 pandan leaves
  • 3 slices dried galangal
  • 1 kaffir lime leaf

Garam masala batter

  • 1 tablespoon coriander powder
  • 1 tablespoon chili flakes
  • 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
  • 2 tablespoons rice flour (see notes after the recipe)
  • 1 teaspoon ginger powder
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 tablespoon garam masala
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice

To cook the eggplants

  • 2 large eggplants the kind with wide girth is best for this recipe
  • cooking oil for frying

Instructions
 

Cook the yellow rice

  • Place the rice in the cooker and add the correct amount of water (see tips).
  • Stir in the grated turmeric and salt.
  • Tie the lemongrass and pandan leaves into knots, drop into the rice along with the galangal and kaffir lime leaf.
    Rice with lemongrass, pandan, galangal and turmeric
  • Cook the rice until all the water has been absorbed.
  • With a fork, fluff up the rice grains.

Prep the garam masala eggplants

  • While the rice cooks, mix together all the ingredients for the batter. Add just enough water to form a batter just thick enough to stick to the eggplant slices.
    Making garam masala batter and slicing eggplants
  • Cut the eggplants into rings between one-fourth and one-half inch.

Fry the garam masala eggplants

  • In a frying pan, with the heat set to medium, pour in enough cooking oil to reach a depth of about a quarter inch.
    Frying eggplant slices dipped in garam masala batter
  • Dip each eggplant slice in the garam masala batter then lay in the hot oil until the batter on the underside is crisp. Flip to fry the opposite side.
  • Serve the garam masala eggplants with yellow rice.

Notes

Based on a recipe from Anto’s Kitchen.
Keyword Eggplants, Rice
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Published: September 19, 2020 • Last modified: July 25, 2021 ♥ All Recipes, Side Dishes, South Asian, Vegetables
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