Crispy Eggplant Cutlets/Begun Bhaja (Gluten Free) (Edit recipe)

Eggplant is one of my favorite vegetables and I I rarely venture beyond my favorite ways to cook it but this weekend I tried something new. And OMG was it so good! These eggplant cutlets or Begun Bhaja are just so scrumptious and ridiculously simple . These originate from Bengal , a state in the eastern part of India - they are crispy and tender, and melt in the mouth. My little twist to this was adding a tangy yogurt sauce on top which was such a perfect pairing.

5 minutes

30 minutes

Difficulty:

Easy

Show nutritional information

This is our estimate based on online research.
Calories:	483
Fat:	22 g
Carbohydrates:	60 g
Protein:	6 g
Cholesterol:	1 g
Sodium:	1131 mg
Fiber:	2 g
Sugars:	5 g
Calculated per serving.

by Masala Paleo

Serves: 2

Ingredients

1 whole Eggplant, large
0.5 tsp Turmeric Powder
1 tsp Kashmiri Chili Powder, or paprika for less heat
1 tsp Amchur (Dried Mango Powder), optional
0.5 cup Superfine White Rice Flour, can substitute with almond flour
1 tsp Salt
3 Tbsp Avocado Oil

For the sauce

0.5 cup Plain Yogurt
0.5 tsp Chaat Masala, can substitute with a blend of cumin powder, chili powder, salt

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Process

Note, these instructions are written assuming the standard serving size, since you have modified the number of servings, these steps may need to be modified for best results

Cut eggplant into disks of about quarter inch thickness.
Mix the spices and salt and smear the mix on both sides of the eggplant disks. Set aside for 15 mins to marinate.
Heat 3 tbsp oil in a pan.
Dredge each eggplant piece in the rice flour till it forms a thin coating on it.
Shallow fry the eggplant disks in the hot oil. Do not crowd these. You will need to fry for about 5 mins on each side till the cutlet has a nice crust on the outside and is tender on the inside. You will want to spray some oil on these when flipping over.
For the yogurt sauce, whisk the yogurt with the Chaat masala. If you don't have chaat masala, you can add some cumin powder, chili powder and salt.
Plate the eggplant cutlets and drizzle with the sauce. Serve as an appetizer or a side.