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Ingredients
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Quantity
|
|
Eggplant – washed but not peeled cut into
half lengthwise and each half sliced crosswise into 12 pieces
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1 medium size
|
|
Salt
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1 tbsp
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|
Besan
(chickpea flour)
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1 cup
|
|
Rice flour
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¼ cup
|
|
Ground cumin
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1 tsp
|
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Ground hot red pepper
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¼ tsp
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Cold water
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¾ cup
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Vegetable oil
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for deep frying
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Drop the eggplant into a bowl, sprinkle it with salt, and turn the
pieces about with a spoon to coat them evenly. Set aside for at least 30
minutes.
Meanwhile, prepare the batter. Combine the chick-pea flour, rice
flour, cumin and red pepper in a deep bowl and, when they are well mixed, pour
in the water, stirring constantly.
Pour 3 cups of vegetable oil into a 10-inch karhai or 12-inch wok,
or fill a deep fryer with oil to a depth of 2 or 3 inches. Heat the oil until
it reaches a temperature of 350 on a deep frying thermometer.
Squeeze the eggplant pieces gently but firmly to remove as much of
their moisture as possible. With tongs or a slotted spoon, dip one piece at a
time into the batter and then drop it into the hot oil. Fry the eggplant in
batches of 5 or 6 pieces for about 5 minutes, or until golden brown on all
sides. As they brown, transfer them to paper towels to drain.
