How to Fry Eggplant with Less Oil

Name: How to Fry Eggplant with Less Oil
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 15 min
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 1 pound eggplant; salt and pepper; 2 large egg whites; Oil with a high smoke point for frying

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Prep Time
5 mins
Cook Time
5 mins
Total Time
15 mins
Servings
4 servings
Calories
36 kcal
Course
Appetizer
Cuisine
Italian

How to Fry Eggplant with Less Oil

Iris Warren

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Learn to fry eggplant slices perfectly golden crisp without getting soggy or oil-soaked on ToriAvey.com. Healthier frying method for eggplant.

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Ingredients

Servings

1 pound eggplant, about 1 medium
salt and pepper
2 large egg whites
Oil with a high smoke point for frying (grapeseed, avocado, and peanut oil work well)

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Instructions

Slice the eggplant into 1/2 inch rounds. Place the rounds in a colander and sprinkle them with salt (sea salt, kosher salt, any kind of salt will work). Make sure each eggplant round has a thin sprinkling of salt on it. Let the slices sit for 20-30 minutes until beads of liquid form on the surface. This process helps to remove any bitterness that may be present in the eggplant. Note that if you're using smaller eggplant pieces here, like Japanese eggplant, they are very rarely bitter and likely will not need salting. I usually use a medium-sized eggplant in this preparation because I like the size of the slices it produces for frying.
Rinse the eggplant pieces thoroughly to remove the salt. Pat dry and spread out on a cutting board. Sprinkle the eggplant slices lightly with salt. The salt from the colander will be mostly gone after rinsing; if you're salt sensitive, you can skip adding salt at this point and add to taste after frying. Sprinkle the slices lightly with black pepper (also optional, but recommended). Whisk the two egg whites in a small bowl for about 60 seconds. Brush the seasoned eggplant slices with a THIN layer of egg white, making sure the entire white surface of the slice is coated. Turn the slices and brush the other side with another thin layer of egg white, so all white surfaces of the slices are covered with egg white.
Heat 1/4 inch of grapeseed oil in a nonstick skillet over medium until hot enough for frying. The ideal temperature for frying eggplant is about 365-375 degrees F. The best way to monitor the temperature is to use a deep fry or candy thermometer; or, you can drop a small piece of bread into the oil. If it takes 60 seconds to brown, the oil temperature is perfect for frying. Heat up the oil while you're brushing the eggplant slices with egg white to save on time!
Place 3 slices gently into the hot oil (do not cook more than 3-4 slices per batch, or the oil temperature will drop). Careful, it may splatter a bit, especially during the first minute or so of cooking. Let the slices fry for 2-3 minutes on each side until golden brown.Remove slices from the hot oil and drain on a drying rack or paper towel.

Notes

You will also need: Nonstick skillet
Before I started using egg white to fry my eggplant, I would have to replenish the oil in the skillet every two batches or so. After learning this tip, there is enough oil for many more batches even after frying a whole eggplant. How fabulous is that??
Before I started using egg white to fry my eggplant, I would have to replenish the oil in the skillet every two batches or so. After learning this tip, there is enough oil for many more batches even after frying a whole eggplant. How fabulous is that??

Nutrition Information

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Calories 36kcal (2%) Carbohydrates 6g (2%) Protein 2g (4%) Sodium 29mg (1%) Potassium 286mg (8%) Fiber 3g (12%) Sugar 4g (8%) Vitamin A 25IU (1%) Vitamin C 2.5mg (3%) Calcium 10mg (1%) Iron 0.3mg (2%)