Asian Salad with Crispy Eggplants, Cilantro, and Peanuts
Salads • Pan-Asian
Description
Summer, tender, almost seedless, and completely non-bitter eggplants can become a delightful story when fried in pieces to a crunch. The plot thickens with a starch coating, which is more delicate than flour, resulting in a thin, almost glass-like crust that keeps the juices inside and prevents the flesh from soaking up oil and becoming heavy. The story of fried eggplants can be taken in any culinary direction: serve them with tahini for an Israeli twist, with roasted tomatoes for a Turkish flavor, or with mint, cilantro, soy sauce, and mirin for an Asian flair. We chose the last option and enhanced the crunch by adding crushed peanuts to the crispy eggplants.
Ingredients
- Eggplants 5 oz
- Corn Starch 0 oz
- Vegetable Oil 10 fl oz
- Fresh basil leaves 0 oz
- Fresh Mint 0 oz
- Cilantro 0 oz
- Cucumbers 5 oz
- Roasted Peanuts 0 oz
- Sesame Oil 1 tablespoon
- Lime ½ pieces
- Soy Sauce 2 spoons
- Vegetable Oil 1 tablespoon
- Mirin 1 tablespoon
- Garlic 1 clove
Step-by-Step Guide
Step 1
Cut the eggplants into large cubes.
Step 2
Coat the eggplants in a mixture of salt and cornstarch, shaking off any excess.
Step 3
Heat sunflower oil for frying and sauté the eggplants until golden brown. Use a slotted spoon to transfer them to paper towels to drain excess oil.
Step 4
Slice the cucumbers.
Step 5
For the sauce, pour sesame oil, soy sauce, vegetable oil, and mirin into a jar with a tight-fitting lid.
Step 6
Squeeze lime juice into the mixture and add the garlic that has been pressed. Close the jar and shake well to combine the ingredients.
Step 7
Combine the eggplant and cucumbers in a salad bowl.
Step 8
Tear the leaves of the basil, cilantro, and mint into large pieces, mix them together, and add to the salad.
Step 9
Lightly crush the peanuts in a mortar until coarsely crumbed and sprinkle over the salad.
Step 10
Dress the salad with dressing.
Step 11
Serve the salad on a individual plate and sprinkle with peanuts.
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