Eggplant (Aubergine) Breakfast Fritters with Shawarma Seasoning

Contains:  Egg, wheat/gluten, nightshades.  Is:  Vegetarian, quick and easy.  

There are a number of eggplant/aubergine recipes on this site, so I had to sleuth around to find something a bit different.  I got some ideas, but made this into my own recipe at the end.

Notice that, in comparison to the eggs, the eggplant and the bell pepper (yes, that IS a bell pepper) is smaller than average. Adjust other ingredients accordingly if you wish to up-scale your recipe!

The eggplant and the bell pepper came from a very good friend’s garden/CSA, which he brought up to gift to me.   The eggs came from here.  The green onion and the mushrooms from Mass Food Delivery.   (A service that will only work in the state of Massachusetts, but it links local New England farmers to the others of us.)   Yeah, the flour and the oil came from the supermarket.

For cooking oil, I always prefer to use items like avocado, grapeseed, or on certain occasions, peanut oil.  I may make a post dedicated to oils, similar to my Salt of the Earth – About a Chef’s Favorite Mineral Condiment post a while back.   I don’t purchase “vegetable”, corn, soy, or canola (rapeseed) oil if I can help it.  I do have some safflower oil here specifically for deep frying (this is a price consideration!)  Low temp cooking can use olive oil… but more about oils and fats in a future entry!

Ready to mix! (The other egg lurks under the flour.)

The use of shawarma seasonings in this recipe evokes a Middle-Eastern flavor.   Vary this out with a seasoning profile you either prefer, or actually have to hand.   (Shawarma typically contains: allspice, garlic, black pepper, nutmeg, cinnamon, cardamom, chili powder, clove, oregano, salt).

Prep Time:  20 minutes.
Cook Time:  4 minutes per skillet batch.
Rest Time:  Not essential.
Serves:  2, possibly 3.
Cuisine:  Mid-Eastern seasonings.
Leftovers:  I’d save leftover batter, covered in the fridge.  Cooked fritters are likely not to be as good the next day, but try it if you wish.

Eggplant Breakfast Fritters with Shawarma Seasoning

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 small eggplant (or an Asian eggplant).  Remove stem, and slice into 1/4-1/3rd inch disks.  
• Salt and water
• 1/2 small bell pepper.  Any color.  De-stem and de-seed.  Dice fine. 
• 2-3 ounces oyster mushrooms.  Dice fine.
• 1 scallion/green onion, diced fine.  
• 2 eggs.
• 3 tablespoons all purpose flour.
• 1 tablespoon shawarma powder.
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper.
• Cooking oil to cover the bottom of your skillet to 1/4 inch.  

METHOD:

If you plan to multiply this recipe, in order to keep a batch warm until serving, pre-heat your oven to 200 F.

Slice the eggplant into 1/4 to 1/3rd inch disks, and drop into cold salted water for 5-10 minutes, while you chop up everything else.

Prep the green onion, mushrooms, and pepper as noted and depicted.

Dry each slice of eggplant with a paper (or other clean) towel, and chop finely.

Add all ingredients except oil into a bowl, and mix with a spoon.

In a skillet, add enough cooking oil to cover the base of the skillet to about 1/4 inch.   Heat the oil to medium on your cooktop.   A drop of water will sizzle nicely but not make a true messy splatter when you are at a good temperature.  Adjust the temperature.

Add the batter using a serving spoon, and flatten out to a regular pancake thickness – the batter should be about 2 inches or so in diameter for each fritter.   Fit in what your skillet allows you to without overlapping, and cook.  Flip at the 2 minute mark (depending on the temperature of your oil, you may have to adjust time up or down, slightly).  Cook on the flip side another two minutes (approximately).  Remove and place on a paper towel to drain.

Finish any further batches.  If you are doing more than two batches, you may wish to keep the first ones in that pre-warmed oven until all are finished cooking.

Serve.   I found they don’t need anything else, but maybe a good pot of tea or coffee on the side!

.This recipe is being shared at the following link parties:

Full Plate Thursday

Fiesta Friday

Farmhouse Friday

Meatless Monday.