Fried eggplant with roasted garlic yogurt sauce. Eggplant rounds coated in flour, seasoned with cumin and turmeric, and lightly fried.

Fried Eggplant with Roasted Garlic Yogurt Sauce

I’m fairly positive we’ve discussed my love of eggplant on many occasions. It started with this roasted eggplant dip, naturally progressed with this roasted eggplant soup, and peaked with these amazing Thai eggplant rounds. 

If you consider yourself an eggplant hater or have yet to fall in love with the vegetable, I highly encourage you to start with those recipes and give it another chance. 

Better yet, make these fried eggplant rounds! They might be one of my favorite things to come out of my kitchen as of late. 

Sliced Eggplant

These fried eggplant rounds were inspired by a dish at Zaytinya, one of my favorite Greek restaurants in DC.  Eggplant rounds are lightly coated in flour, seasoned with cumin and turmeric, lightly fried in olive oil and served with a delicious roasted garlic yogurt sauce.

Dreamy, creamy, and oh so good.

Roasted Garlic BulbFried Eggplant with Roasted Garlic Yogurt Sauce

Fried Eggplant with Roasted Garlic Yogurt Sauce

Fried Eggplant with Roasted Garlic Yogurt Sauce

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Yield: 4 Servings
Prep: 1 hour
Cook: 15 minutes
Total: 1 hour 15 minutes
This fried eggplant dish was inspired by Zaytinya, one of my favorite Greek restaurants in DC.  Eggplant rounds are lightly coated in flour, seasoned with cumin and turmeric, lightly fried in olive oil and served with a delicious roasted garlic yogurt sauce.

Ingredients

Roasted Garlic Yogurt Sauce:

  • 1 small head of garlic
  • 1-2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
  • ¾ cup whole fat greek yogurt
  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice
  • 1-2 teaspoons finely chopped cilantro
  • kosher salt
  • freshly ground black pepper

Eggplant:

  • 1 large eggplant peeled and sliced into ½-inch thick discs
  • ¾ cup (90 g) unbleached all-purpose flour
  • ¾ teaspoon ground cumin
  • ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
  • kosher salt
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • olive oil for frying
  • cilantro leaves for garnish

Instructions 

  • Roast Garlic and Prepare Garlic Yogurt Sauce: Preheat oven to 400°F (204°C) with a rack in the center position.  Peel the outer skin layer of the garlic bulb and trim the top of the head (about ¼-inch) with a knife to expose the garlic cloves.
  • Place the garlic in aluminum foil, drizzle with 2 teaspoons of olive oil, salt and pepper and pinch the ends of the foil together, creating a tent.
  • Roast for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until garlic cloves are very tender and soft.  Allow to cool until lukewarm (or comfortable enough to handle) and remove the roasted cloves into a small food processor. Add the yogurt and lemon juice to the food processor, and pulse until smooth. Place yogurt into a bowl and stir in the cilantro.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Set aside.
  • Prepare Eggplant: Place eggplant rounds in a colander, sprinkle with kosher salt, and allow to sit for 15 to 20 minutes to sweat. Pat the slices dry with a kitchen line.
  • Combine the flour, cumin, turmeric, salt and pepper in a small, shallow bowl.   Set aside another small bowl of water.
  • Heat ¼-inch layer of olive oil in a large sauté or frying pan over medium high heat. Lightly coat the eggplant rounds in the flour mixture, then dip into the water (dripping any excess liquid off), and dip again into the flour mixture.  Fry until golden brown on both sides.  Avoid over-crowding the pan and change oil as necessary.
  • Remove and place on rack or paper towel lined plate. Salt immediately. Serve eggplant hot with roasted garlic yogurt sauce and garnish with fresh cilantro.
Inspired by Zaytinya Restaurant.
Serving: 1serving, Calories: 227kcal, Carbohydrates: 36g, Protein: 8g, Fat: 7g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g, Cholesterol: 2mg, Sodium: 310mg, Fiber: 5g, Sugar: 7g
Author: Laura / A Beautiful Plate
Course: Recipes
Cuisine: American