Bake with panko (Japanese breadcrumbs) is a great way to enjoy aubergine, especially when you want to cut down the oil intake. Panko-coating gives aubergine a crunchy outer, while inside is tender as always, but not oily like the normal fried aubergine.
This panko aubergine recipe is learned from Imad’s Syrian Kitchen by Imad Alarnab. He seasons the aubergine with za’atar and cumin, then serves with feta and halloumi cheese. I made it in western style — garlic and oregano — as a side for pan-fried sea bream and quinoa salad. I think panko aubergine is a brilliant topping over salad!
Cooking Notes
- Egg wash: There’ll be leftover of eggwash. Sadly, it is not supposed to eat as too much salt in it, meaning food waste is produced unwillingly. I guess a better practice is to season the aubergine well before dipping into eggwash.
- Drizzling oil: At the last step, each piece of aubergine needs to be dressed with oil. If not enough oil, panko won’t get a nice golden colour. However, drizzling oil evenly is not an easy task if you don’t have a proper, such as a dressing squeeze bottle. Or, partly cover the oil bottle hole with your thumb like a professional chef.
Ingredients
Serves 2
- ½ large aubergine (approx. 230 g)
- salt
- 40-50 g panko
- 2 medium eggs
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp dried oregano (or other herbs)
- olive oil
How to Make
- Cut the aubergine into 1 cm thick half-moon shape. Sweat it with enough salt and let stand for 20-30 minutes. Remove the brownish liquid and pat dry.
- Preheat the oven to 180ºC fan mode.
- In a bowl, beat the eggs with salt, garlic powder and oregano; Place the panko in another bowl.
- Dip the aubergine into the eggs first, then coat with panko. Place the aubergine on a lined tray.
- Drizzle each piece of aubergine with olive and bake for 20 minutes until nicely browned.
