Eggplants are an integral ingredient in many Mediterranean dishes, from hearty moussaka to light and crispy tzatziki. For a tasty snack with your bowl of tzatziki sauce, these simple baked eggplant fries make the ideal accompaniment!
To make these chips, start by cutting thin slices of eggplant using a mandoline. Pat the slices dry with paper towels and season lightly with salt.
Prep the eggplant
Eggplant is one of the healthiest vegetables you can add to your diet. Packed full of essential vitamins and minerals like potassium, manganese, and vitamin C, eggplant also provides plenty of fiber.
The initial step to making eggplant chips is prepping your vegetable. Slice it into very fine rounds using a mandoline, if possible.
After slicing, arrange the slices on paper towels in an even layer. Sprinkle lightly with salt, and allow to sit for 10 minutes.
Repeat the salting, resting and drying steps until each slice is dry and free from moisture. Finally, brush each with basil-infused olive oil and sprinkle with black pepper, garlic powder and a layer of Parmesan cheese for garnish.
Next, arrange the slices on a baking sheet and bake until golden and crisp, 16 to 18 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool completely.
Dip the eggplant
Eggplant is one of the few vegetables with low net carbs and great for dipping with various dips. Plus, it’s packed full of antioxidants and nutrients like potassium, manganese, vitamin K and C as well as phytonutrients which support immunity and cognition.
To make eggplant chips, first coat the slices in flour before coating them with an egg mixture and panko breadcrumbs. Bake these crispy and flavorful chips for a crispy snack!
These snacks or appetizers make an excellent snack or appetizer when served with Greek tzatziki sauce for dipping. Plus, you can easily make ahead and freeze for up to one month; just thaw in the fridge before baking.
Bake the eggplant
Eggplants are a go-to vegetable in Mediterranean dishes. But they can also be transformed into an irresistible snack when coated in breading and baked until crisp.
In this recipe, we use a combination of flour and breadcrumbs to coat eggplant slices before baking them until they are crunchy and slightly cheesy. They make for an excellent alternative to regular potato chips that’s easy to make on any low-carb diet.
First, preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Next, slice the eggplant into very fine rounds–if possible using a mandoline.
Once the eggplant has been sliced, salt it and set it aside for 15 minutes so that the moisture released by the eggplant helps the breadcrumb coating adhere better.
Once the eggplant has been dipped, transfer it to a baking sheet and bake for 16-18 minutes, until golden and crisp. Remove from the oven and serve warm either as is or with marinara sauce as an accompaniment.
Store the eggplant
When storing an eggplant for making chips, it’s essential to store it in a cool and dark location. Room temperature storage or garage or basement work best as long as the eggplants are kept away from fruits and vegetables that give off ethylene which can hasten their ripening process.
For optimal storage of an eggplant, slice it into very thin and even slices. Doing this increases the likelihood of having crispy chips when prepared.
Once your eggplant slices are prepared, place them on a clean baking sheet and bake in a preheated oven for 30 minutes or until the eggplant slices start to brown and become crisp. Be sure to monitor the cooking time closely so that all slices are fully cooked through.
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