You can call it basic but a true French fry lover will hardly be able to put into words what a hot batch of stocky potato crisps fresh out the fryer can do for the soul. And your cholesterol, if you're a little bit too indulgent.Well, fret not! Here we have for you, a doctor-approved recipe for fries that will actually put some fibre into your body, while still hitting the spot when it comes to flavour. So here goes, Dr. Ahmad Noori's eggplant fries recipe.
Eggplant Fries
Ingredients: For the fries — medium eggplants - 2, olive oil - 6tbsps, sesame seeds - 2tbsps, Parmesan cheese - 2tbsps, cornstarch - 1tbsp, Italian seasoning - 1tbsp (paprika, garlic, oregano, basil, rosemary), smoked paprika (optional) - 1/2tsp, salt and pepper to taste; For the creamy tahini dip — tahini - 3 to 4tbsps, yoghurt - 2tbsps, juice of 1/2 a lemon, garlic powder - 1/4tsp, water to adjust consistency, salt to taste
Method: Preheat the oven to 200°C and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Slice the eggplants into fries, with each cut ideally being about half an inch thick. Now for the coating mixture, in a large mixing bowl combine the olive oil, sesame seeds, Parmesan cheese, cornstarch, Italian seasoning, smoked paprika (if using), salt, and black pepper. Whisk together to get a grainy, thick mixture and toss in your thick cut fries, going in with your hands to give them a good mix. In case you are on a serious health kick, you can kick down the amount of olive oil you're using in addition to the cornstarch — the latter however, does give the final fries a very irresistible crunch. Similarly, the Parmesan cheese can easily be switched out with nutritional yeast. Next the fries need to be arranged in a single layer on the baking tray — piling the fries on top of one another will lead to them turning soggy in the oven. Bake for about 20 to 25 minutes, but be sure to flip the fries — yes, each one of them! — halfway through. Though this may seem a little bit tedious, it is worth every last bite of your big bowl of flavourful bites at the end. Now as your fries bake and crisp up, get to your tahini sauce. Simply mix all the ingredients together and adjust the consistency with water. Add salt to taste and once your fries are done, dip them in and have yourself a lovely evening.
{{/usCountry}}Method: Preheat the oven to 200°C and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Slice the eggplants into fries, with each cut ideally being about half an inch thick. Now for the coating mixture, in a large mixing bowl combine the olive oil, sesame seeds, Parmesan cheese, cornstarch, Italian seasoning, smoked paprika (if using), salt, and black pepper. Whisk together to get a grainy, thick mixture and toss in your thick cut fries, going in with your hands to give them a good mix. In case you are on a serious health kick, you can kick down the amount of olive oil you're using in addition to the cornstarch — the latter however, does give the final fries a very irresistible crunch. Similarly, the Parmesan cheese can easily be switched out with nutritional yeast. Next the fries need to be arranged in a single layer on the baking tray — piling the fries on top of one another will lead to them turning soggy in the oven. Bake for about 20 to 25 minutes, but be sure to flip the fries — yes, each one of them! — halfway through. Though this may seem a little bit tedious, it is worth every last bite of your big bowl of flavourful bites at the end. Now as your fries bake and crisp up, get to your tahini sauce. Simply mix all the ingredients together and adjust the consistency with water. Add salt to taste and once your fries are done, dip them in and have yourself a lovely evening.
{{/usCountry}}(recipe from 'Dr. Vegan' Ahmad Noori)
Welcome to your era of guilt-free, nutritious bingeing!