Aubergine (or as the Americans call it, “eggplant”) is one of those foods that is simply very good for you. It’s relatively low in calories, low GI, high in fibre and B vitamins and is allegedly a cholesterol-lowering food. This recipe for aubergine fries is gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan and high in taste.
Yesterday I was going through some of my old recipes and updating them a bit, when I came across this monstrosity of a food picture. Seriously, I’m so embarrassed that I even put it up in the first place, and more so that I kept it up for so long! It looks like I am sacrificing something to the god of lumpy brown things. So I woke up with determination to redo the recipe from scratch.
This recipe takes very little time to prepare and can be deep fried (for a crispier texture) or oven baked. If potato-based fries are your weakness, then these make a very decent substitute. I mixed up some sri racha sauce and mayonnaise to make the dip, but ketchup or tomato salsa would also go beautifully.
Gluten-free Aubergine Fries
By Published: September 3, 2014
- Yield: 2 Servings
A low-GI alternative to potato based fries. Gluten-free, dairy-free and vegan.
Ingredients
- 2 aubergines or eggplant if you are American 😉
- 5-6 tbsp rice flour or enough to half fill a shallow bowl
- 1 tbsp za'atar if you can't find this, substitute with your favourite dried herbs
- salt and pepper to season
Instructions
Cut the aubergines into long and thin strips - about the size of regular fries.- Heat your fryer to 175C or your oven to 200C.
Put the rice flour and za'atar in a shallow bowl and mix together. Season with pepper.
Rinse the aubergine pieces in water and shake off the excess. Toss them in the flour until coated and set aside.- Transfer the aubergine to the fryer/oven. Deep fry: for 5 minutes, remove basket from oil and set temperature to 185C. When oil is hot, fry aubergine for a further 1-2 minutes until beautifully golden brown. For oven baking: simply bake at 200C for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown.
Serve with the dipping sauce of your choice.
- Cuisine: Middle Eastern
- Course: Side Dish
- Skill Level: Easy
If you like this recipe, please share it with your gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan or aubergine/eggplant loving friends!
Ooooh they look amazing!! We’ve just got 2 aubergines left from our plant so I guess I know what I’ll be doing with them…! What a great way to use up aubergines and save on carbs at the same time! Will definitely be giving this a try!
They are really quite moreish Vikki, so watch out! 😉
Haha! Well…my husband is away this evening and he doesn’t like aubergine (madness!) so I think tonight might be my chance….yum!