Thandur Eggplant Cutlets | Delicious Indain Food
After taking a bite off of one of these crispy eggplant ‘katsu’ pieces, you will notice that the eggplant has a smooth texture, in contrast to the extremely crispy surface that is provided by the bread crumbs.
My passion for Japanese tonkatsu, which are pork cutlets that are breaded and fried, are the primary source of inspiration for this dish. Tonkatsu are typically served with a side of shredded cabbage and steaming rice, topped with the traditional tonkatsu sauce. Additionally, one of my favourite dishes is Katsu Curry, which is made with fried pork cutlet pieces and is served with rice, Japanese-style curry, and a variety of pickled vegetables.
I wanted to make a vegan version with a vegetable (instead of the tofu I used for my tofu katsu recipe), and I decided to use eggplant because I love its silky texture, which is greatly complemented by the quality Indian food crispy exterior from the Japanese or panko breadcrumbs. I hope you enjoy this vegan version of my tofu katsu recipe!
THE EGGPLANTS ARE HERE
For this dish, I used Chinese eggplants; however, you are welcome to use other kinds of eggplant if you choose.
I cut the eggplant at an angle so that the slices would be more interesting. Each of the parts has a thickness of approximately 3/4 inch to 1 inch. You should get two bowls ready. One will be used to make the bread crumbs, and the other will be used to make the batter.
I combined the following for the BATTER:
Flour suited for all purposes (or other flour of choice like buckwheat, GF, etc.)
starch extracted from corn
baking powder
salt
room temp. wate
The complete recipe for the batter can be found in the recipe card that can be found below!
crumbs from bread (I used Japanese breadcrumbs)
When working with the dry bread crumbs combination and the batter at the same time, I find it easiest to use one hand for each.
In this manner, I am able to maintain a tidy environment! Because if you switch between using your right and left hand, the bread crumbs will become stuck on your wet fingers, and then things will get really messy!
Before I cooked them to a crisp, I essentially repeated this process for each of the pieces, coating them in the batter and the bread crumbs.
Prepare the food in a big frying pan or wok that has been heated over medium-high heat. Include an amount of oil that will completely cover the eggplants. If you have a thermometer, let the oil heat up to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (180 degrees Celsius); if not, don’t worry about it!
You can test to see if the oil is ready by dipping a chopstick into it and observing whether or not bubbles form, or you can add some breadcrumbs. If the breadcrumbs start to sizzle as soon as you add them, this indicates that the oil is at the appropriate temperature. Include the cut-up chunks of eggplant.
Fry the eggplants for about two to three minutes on each side, or until they are crisp and golden brown. To cook the other side, turn the meat over.
You can choose to bake or air-fry these, but traditionally they are deep-fried in neutral oil until they reach a golden brown colour. Have a look at the recipe down below for some advice on baking and air frying.
Once all of the eggplant has achieved a golden brown colour, remove it from the oil and lay it on a cooling rack or strainer to remove any leftover oil. Remove the pan or wok from the heat immediately. The eggplants should not be covered in order to prevent them from becoming we are here the thandur markham.
AIR-FRYING OPTION
Just keep in mind that the golden brown colour won’t be distributed as uniformly as it was when they were fried.
If using an air fryer:
Arrange the eggplants in a single layer in the basket of your air fryer. On both sides, apply a
generous amount of oil either spraying it on or brushing it on.
Air-fry at a temperature of 200 degrees Celsius for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the food is crisp and golden brown. During the middle of the cooking process, flip.
Take into consideration that the settings of the air fryer may differ!
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