Thursday, September 27, 2012

Spicy Aubergine (Eggplant) Fries



Technically it's not a fries as it's baked in the oven with just a little oil to prevent eggplants from absorbing too much oil in it. 

Ingredients:
2 eggplants
2 tablespoons salt
2-3 rosemary sprigs, finely chopped
pinch of cayenne pepper
2 tbsp olive oil 
1 tsp granulated garlic

Cut eggplants lengthwise  into 1/2 inch  strips, mix with salt and set aside for 30 minutes. 
Preheat the oven to 450 F/230C.
Rinse  the eggplants under a running water to remove excess of salt, pat dry with the towel (or paper towel). 
In a large bowl combine olive oil, chopped rosemary, garlic and cayenne pepper and coat eggplants in the mixture by tossing it a few times. 
Transfer to a baking sheet and place on a middle rack in the oven. 
Bake 25-30 minutes, turning the baking sheet 180 degrees half way through the baking. 

Warning: highly addictive! :)

See you,
Marina


51 comments:

  1. Yum, this is my kind of dish. I love eggplant, spices and things that are healthy for you even if they seem a little bit naughty!

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    1. I love eggplants too, too much I think! especially this time of the year, when there so many variety available, I just stuff myself with all things eggplant... :)

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  2. Mmm I love chips of any kind and these strike me as much healthier than the kinds you can buy! :D

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    1. I don't remember when I bought chips, but if they sell something like this, I would be first in line... :) Thanks, Lorraine, for your comment!

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  3. I love oven fries, honnestly we don't eat a lot of fried stuff... Love your aubergines fries, these looks really good!

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    1. I don't eat a lot of fried stuff either: all idea of wasting too much oil to fry it, and then consume all that extra fat, doesn't make fried food too attractive... :)

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  4. they're gorgeous! Eggplant is one of those foods that I never can nail...either too rubbery and overdone or not done enough. These make me want to try again!

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    1. Yes, Averie, eggplants can be really tricky to prepare. My mother always salt it and let it "sweat" for 30 minutes. I think it does the trick. And when I bake it I make sure oven is hot. You bake a lot, so you know your oven. I start checking those "fries" 15 minutes into baking, and after that monitor it very closely: it may need only 5 more minutes until they are perfectly done. Thanks for your comment! :)

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  5. I would never have considered fries could be made from eggplants but these look better than even potato :D

    Cheers
    Choc Chip Uru

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    1. Thank you Uru. I do love potato fries, well, I love them baked in the oven too. But in the Autumn, when many other vegetables are in abundance, I experiment... :)

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  6. "Warning: highly addictive!" - Oh yeah, I can imagine! Every time I fry aubergine I end up eating most of it before it's time to serve it up... oops :D. I never tried them like this before - what a fantastic idea! I'll give them a try next time I'm looking for a delicious snack!

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    1. Hi Charles, I hear you: I ate half of it after I pooled the tray out of the oven: just tasting it! :)

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  7. Those sure look wonderful and healthy (I am not into deep frying either). What kind of eggplant did you use?

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    1. Hi Norma, those on the photo were Italian eggplants (I think that's the name), but I made with Asian eggplants (long one). Everything works really well as long as you put it in a hot oven. Thanks for your comment! :)

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  8. I've never tried doing them in the oven but this is much healthier! I love that special flavor...my mouth is watering now! Enjoy your weekend! Hugs!

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    1. Hi Diane, I love oven, it's a time saver too: just place everything on a baking sheet and oven will do it's job... :) Thanks for your kind comment.

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  9. I've always loved eggplants, and this dish looks great! I always enjoy learning something new from you, have a great weekend!

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    1. Thanks, I am glad you liked it. It is also so easy to make! :)

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  10. Dear Marina, I love eggplant. I try to invent new ways to prepare it. This is a wonderful recipe. Blessings dear. Catherine xo

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    1. Hi Catherine, I love eggplants too. They have such a unique flavor... :)

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  11. I love roasting eggplant! In fact I did it tonight, although I cubed mine rather than cut them into fries, and didn't use as interesting a spice assortment as you did (I was actually making them to use in another dish). I find, though, that when I roast I don't need to do the salting, resting, and rinsing step. But then I usually don't buy those huge eggplants, so maybe that's the reason. Anyway, I'll have to try this - thanks.

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    1. Hi John, I love eggplants too... a lot! Would be interesting to see your dish that you roasted eggplants for. Salting, resting (or "sweating" how my mother calls it) and rinsing, then drying (!) step helps with the crust on roasted eggplants. :)

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    2. Hi Marina, that's really interesting. The way I do it, you do get a bit of a crust on the eggplant, but not as much as I'd like. I got a real bargain on the eggplant and I have some left - I'm planning on roasting more later this week. I'll try your method and see how it works. BTW, the dish I made with roasted eggplant is Pasta alla Norma - really good stuff. Traditionally one fries the eggplant in oil for this dish, but I like it better with roast eggplant.

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    3. John, let me know when you make it how you like it. I don't like frying eggplants either: they absorb too much oil, and then all you taste is oil, oil, oil, and maybe a little eggplants... Pasta alla Norma, that sounds interesting. Will it be on your blog?

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  12. I wish my family would love eggplants. They unfortunately don't. I love eggplants and always looking for an idea to use them in different ways. I have seen eggplant fries quite often these days, so I better give it a try soon. Do they get crisp after roasting?

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    1. Hi Holly, If you follow those directions, they should get crisp after roasting, yes. Let me know if you make it.. :) Thanks for your comment.

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  13. I want to be addicted to these eggplant fries :-)

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    1. Those are roasted "fries" so you can be addicted without the guilt.. :)

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    2. Perfect :-D That's exactly what I need Marina, guiltfree fries :-D

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  14. These sound so good. I suspect you are right about them becoming additive :-). Have a wonderful weekend. Blessings...Mary

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    1. Thank you Mary. It seams that I can never make enough, I guess it's because I eat half right off the oven and then my whole family sits at the table there's less to share... :)

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  15. excellent this recipe. I needed a new way of doing eggplant. I love the fact that you have made it spicy. Great tip.

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    1. Thanks Alida. Yes, you can make it as spicy as you want indeed. :)

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  16. You come up with the most clever dishes. I look forward to trying these myself.

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    1. Thank you Maureen for your kind comment. My understanding of cooking is straightforward and simple... :)

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  17. I've seen so many veggie fries but none of them are eggplant! How cool! I love eggplant and it's one of top 5 veggies I love eating - even everyday! I have to try this recipe for sure. Thanks for sharing with us!

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    1. Nami, I am with you on eggplant: love them in any form! This time of the year we do eat eggplants almost everyday.. :)

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  18. I bet these are addictive! I'm reading the recipe and wondering why I haven't seen or heard of these before? (Well, isn't that a useless exercise?) I will definitely be making these, especially since they're baked and not fried. Thanks, Marina, for sharing a great dish!

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    1. Thank you John for your kind words. hen eggplants are in season, I make this quite often for dinner: easy and light, and also guilt free... :)

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    1. Thanks Karen. I have to admit, I am always on a lookout for a simplicity too :)

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  20. Love the addition of cayenne & rosemary. We usually bake eggplant in the oven and love it. I find with the Italian, smaller eggplants, they are so much sweeter that I don't need to salt and rinse prep prior. :)

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    1. Hi Shulie, Thanks for your comment. I salt, rinse and dry all eggplants to drain all the excess liquid from it. Then placed in a hot oven I can get a crispier "fries". :)

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  21. These looks so good, Marina. I have to try that and it's perfect for my diet!

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    1. Are you still on that diet? You are so good! :)

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  22. I found your blog via kitchenriffs and am so thrilled that I have. I *love* the idea of making "fries" out of any sort of vegetable, so this one's right up my alley. Thanks for sharing!

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    1. Hello and welcome to my blog. I am glad you like it here. :)

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