Recipe
Nanna’s Eggplant Schnitzels Recipe
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Give eggplant the schnitzel treatment! These golden-brown rounds are crunchy on the outside, soft and savoury inside, and made extra delicious with a little vegan parmesan in the crumb.
You will need
Serves 4
- 1 cup vegetable oil, for frying
- 1 large eggplant
- 1/2 cup cornflour
- 1 1/2 cups plain flour (1/2 cup for wet batter, 1 cup separate)
- 2/3 cup ice cold water
- Handful continental parsley (optional)
- 1 1/2 cups breadcrumbs
- 1/2 cup vegan parmesan, plus extra to serve (optional)
- Salt, to taste
Recipe: Nanna Mirella
Photography: ©Catherine Black
Directions
25 mins to prep
25 mins to cook
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Step 1
Slice the eggplant into 1/2 cm rounds. Lay them flat on a surface and sprinkle generously with salt. Set aside to draw out moisture for approximately 10 minutes while you prepare the coatings.
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Step 2
In a wide bowl, whisk together the 1/2 cup plain flour, cornflour, and ice-cold water until smooth and loose with an egg-like texture. Season the batter with salt and, if using, finely chopped continental parsley.
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Step 3
In a second wide bowl, place the 1 cup plain flour for dusting.
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Step 4
In a third wide bowl, combine the breadcrumbs and vegan parmesan (if using).
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Step 5
Gently pat the salt off the eggplant slices with paper towel. Lightly coat each slice in the plain flour bowl, shaking off any excess.
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Step 6
Dip the floured eggplant slices into the wet batter, ensuring they are evenly coated. Then press them into the breadcrumb and parmesan mix, pressing gently with your hands or a fork to make sure the coating sticks well. Lay the coated schnitzels flat on a plate. Note: We recommend only doing a few at a time at each step.
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Step 7
Pour the vegetable oil into a large frying pan to a depth of about 1cm and heat over medium heat. Test if the oil is hot enough by dipping the end of a wooden spoon into the oil — if it bubbles steadily, it’s ready.
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Step 8
Gently place schnitzels into the hot oil. Fry for about 3–4 minutes on each side, turning occasionally, until golden brown and crispy. Work in batches if needed to avoid overcrowding. Remove any loose crumbs from the oil between batches to prevent burning.
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Step 9
Transfer fried schnitzels onto paper towels to drain excess oil. Add a sprinkling of extra salt if needed, and serve topped with vegan parmesan, if desired.
Variation
If you like your schnitzels in a sanga format too, try this recipe as part of Nanna’s Eggplant Parmigiana Panini!
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Recipe: Nanna Mirella
Photography: ©Catherine Black
