Batinjan Mekhalil (Egyptian Pickled Eggplant): باذنجان مخلل
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Ingredients
- 1 Globe eggplant, peeled sliced to 1 cm thickness or 1/2 inch
- 1 liter salted water, 1 tablespoon salt diluted in 1 liter of water
- ¼ cup all purpose flour
- 1 cup vegetable oil
For the Marinade
- 5 garlic gloves
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon Aleppo pepper or red pepper flakes
- ¼ cup chopped parsley, cilantro and/or dill
- 1 tablespoon white distilled vinegar or more to taste
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
Instructions
- Soak the eggplant slices in salted water for 3O minutes. Dry the eggplant thoroughly with parchment paper. For the meantime, prepare the marinade.
- Prepare the marinade: in a mortar and pestle, or a food processor, combine the garlic, spices, and aromatic herbs and pound or blend to a fine paste, add the vinegar and lemon. Taste and adjust the seasoning.
- Dredge the eggplant in flour and shake off excess flower before frying.
- Heat the vegetable oil in frying skillet and fry the eggplant. Don’t crowd the pan. The eggplant might take up to 15 to 20 minutes to get a nice medium golden crust. Remove the fried eggplants and lay them on a metal rack to discard excess oil.
- To assemble the dish, drizzle the marinade over the fried eggplant and garnish with some fresh herbs such as parsley and/or dill.
- Serve it immediately with fries and Egyptian Aish Baladi.
- Store. keep it in the fridge stored in air tight container for up to 3 days.