Chinese eggplant fritters

When I tried to search for eggplant recipes, I was so dismayed by the way American recipes treat this vegetable. Apparently, it tastes so rubbery and strange that people have to find all kinds of ways to cover it up. So the eggplant is often very finely chopped, cooked for a prolonged time, and buried amidst many other flavorful and more appealing ingredients. I feel so sorry for the American eggplant! When I introduced the Chinese eggplant to a friend, she tried, and was totally surprised by the difference. Of course, it's largely a personal choice which one tastes better. I sometimes like to eat the Chinese eggplant as a finger food, like a fritter. Eggplant bakes very quickly in oven. When cooked, it melts into a buttery texture with a mildly sweet aroma. To make the fritter a little more crispy and less starchy, I use mainly wheat bran with a small amount of bread crumbs as the coating. 


Recipe: Chinese eggplant fritters (for 1)


Ingredients:
- 1 medium Chinese eggplant, about 4 oz
- 1 tablespoon flour
- 1/3 cup wheat bran
- 1/6 cup fine bread crumbs
- 1 egg, beaten.


Prepare a saucer of flour, a saucer of wheat bran mixed with bread crumbs, and a bowl of beaten egg.
Chop the Chinese eggplant to irregular shapes of 1.5" long. Coat the whole surface of each piece of eggplant with flour. Then dip into egg, and roll on the wheat bran and bread crumb mix. Place on a baking sheet. Bake at 375F for 30 minutes or until the sweet aroma comes out. Since wheat bran is very dry, be careful not to burn. Serve right out of oven, optionally with mayonnaise. The Chinese eggplant fritters would taste crispy outside, while soft and sweet inside. 

I think, eating is an art of appreciation. Simple food in their original taste has great appeal to me.