Recipe - Khasa Baigan Bhaji (Eggplant-Cheese Fritters)

1 lg Or 2 smaller eggplants;
(about 2 lb. total), cut or sliced up
crosswise 1/2" thick
One half cup Chickpea flour plus 3 tbsp
selfrising flour
2 tablespoon Cornmeal
Cayenne or paprika to taste
One fourth teaspoon Turmeric
One fourth teaspoon Salt
3 tablespoon Fresh chopped coriander;
basil or parsley
3 tablespoon Water
6 ounce Mozzarella; thinly cut or sliced up
1 One fourth cup Fresh or dry breadcrumbs
Vegetable oil or _ghee_ for
frying
2 Cloves garlic; cut or sliced up ,
(optionalthis is my
addition)

Salting time: 30 min. Prep and cooking: 30 min. Serves 4 to 6

Sprinkle eggplant slices liberally with salt and set aside One half hr. for
excess water to drain off.

Combine flours, cornmeal, spices, herbs and salt with the water in a bowl
and whisk till smooth and the consistency of thick cream, adding water if
needed.

Rinse salt off eggplant and pat dry with paper towels. Pair up slices about
the same size. Trim cheese slices a tad smaller than eggplant rounds (a
biscuit or cookie cutter is handy.) Place 2 slices of cheese between each
pair of eggplant slices. Dip each sandwich in batter, lightly shake off
excess, dip in breadcrumbs & set aside (waxed paper is helpful). Make all
the sandwiches before beginning to fry.

Heat 1/2" oil or _ghee_ in a large skillet till hot but not smoking. If
desired, place garlic slices in the oil till it is very fragrant, then
remove them. Fry fritters 1015 min. on each side till eggplant is
forktender. Drain and serve. I like this kind of thing with coleslaw or
'tater salad if I'm not feeling like making something authentic. You can
also top them with marinara sauce.

NOTE: The only slightly tricky thing about this dish is the heat; too hot
and the cheese leaks, but it has to be fairly hot to keep the fritters from
coming out oily. Just watch for beginnings of leakage.

Source: Yamuna Devi's wonderful, nearencyclopedic LORD KRISHNA'S CUISINE:
THE ART OF INDIAN VEGETARIAN COOKING

Posted to MMRecipes Digest by "Rfm" RobertMiles@usa.net on Sep 28, 98,
converted by MM_Buster v2.0l.