Seychelles Eggplant Fritters
Yet to explore the beauty that is the Republic of Seychelles, we took a deep dive into our research. What we found was that the cuisine of this island nation is dominated by seafood, as Lisa’s blog detailed too. Anything from shellfish to seasonal catches, you name something from the ocean and it’s part of the culture of eating. When filtering our search to include the word “vegetarian” however, we found a recipe that popped up in our chat with Lisa, too… Eggplant fritters, or deep fried eggplant rounds that. They looked too good to pass up on, so here we are, giving the naturally veggie-friendly food of the Seychelles a whirl.
SERVES 6
BATTER
250g flour
2t ground anise
1T ground turmeric
Salt & pepper to taste
2 cups (500ml) water
FOR FRYING
2 large eggplants
1 cup neutral oil
TO SERVE
Mango salsa made from fresh mango, finely chopped mint, diced red onion, lime juice and salt and pepper (add a thinly sliced fresh chilli if you feel like some heat).
Prep the eggplant: Slice the eggplant into round disks (roughly 1cm x 1cm). Place the rounds into a colander and sprinkle each one with salt. Set the colander in a sink and set aside for 10-15 minutes. The eggplant should have released their liquid into the sink. Transfer to a clean surface and pat completely dry with a clean dish towel.
Coat & fry: Heat the oil in a large saucepan. One by one, immerse the rounds into the batter, ensuring an even coating on each. Remove from the batter bowl and immediately slide each round into the hot oil. Do this one by one with oil-safe tongs to avoid sticking. After a minute or so, flip each round over. Remove from the oil once golden brown (roughly 3 minutes) and drain on kitchen towel. Salt and serve immediately with the fresh, tangy salsa.
