Jewish · Authentic-ish Jewish
Fried Aubergine Slices
79 kcal a serving, against 197 for the traditional version. That is 118 kcal off, or 60%, with 1.7g of protein. Serves 4. 1 hour.
What the traditional version is
Thick aubergine rounds, salted and left to sit to draw out some moisture, then patted dry and deep-fried in olive oil until they're golden and collapsing under their own weight. Eaten with a dusting of salt, sometimes a squeeze of lemon, and always fingers greasy enough to leave a mark on your shirt.
What changed, and what each change costs
Baking instead of deep-frying
Frying means the aubergine soaks up copious amounts of oil, which is tasty but not kind if you're watching fat. By baking them after salting and drying, I keep the slices edible without the full oil bath.
What it costs you. You lose the melting softness and golden crust. The result is firmer, less silky and, frankly, nobody will mistake this for a proper fried aubergine. It's more like aubergine crisps with an identity crisis.
Olive oil cut to a brushing
Since the oven can't do what frying does, I brush a tiny bit of oil on the slices so they don't stick or turn ashen. You still get a whisper of flavour, but it's nothing like the real thing.
What it costs you. Minimal oil means minimal joy. You keep the look, sort of, but the mouthfeel is thinner and the flavour is less voluptuous. On the bright side, you won't have to wipe your fingers on your trousers after.
Salt doubled to 20g, then rinsed
Salting harder draws out more water, helping the aubergine dry in the oven. I rinse it off properly so you don't end up with something inedibly salty, just better textured.
What it costs you. If you skimp on rinsing, you'll regret it. If you go overboard, you'll get bland, rubbery slices. Basically it's a tightrope and you still don't get the same softness as the fried version.
Added a little extra aubergine and sliced it thinner
More surface area means more browning in the oven instead of just dehydrating. Slices at 8mm go less floppy, but at least look decent piled up.
What it costs you. You end up eating more vegetable and less oil, but don't expect anyone to write home about it. The tray disappears, but nobody asks for the recipe.
The numbers
| Per serving | Traditional | Lightened |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 197 | 79 |
| Protein | 1.5g | 1.7g |
| Fat | 18.3g | 4.3g |
| Saturated fat | 2.5g | 0.6g |
| Carbohydrate | 8.8g | 10.3g |
| Protein per 100 kcal | 0.7g | 2.2g |
Every figure is computed from the recipe's own weighed ingredient list against public food composition databases. The appendix in Authentic-ish Jewish prints the exact database row used for each ingredient, so any number here can be checked.
The method is in the book
Traditional fried aubergine is magic. This isn't magic, it's baked aubergine with illusions of grandeur. On the bright side, you can eat plenty without keeling over. It's useful on a mezze tray, but it never makes you want to lick your fingers, and no one's going to ask what oil you used. You get the vegetable's taste, a bit of browning and almost none of the grease, but you won't fool anyone who grew up on the Shabbat table. The best I can say is, it's honest, solid and disappears quickly, which is more than you can say for the real thing after the fifth slice.
The quantities and the method for this dish are in Authentic-ish Jewish, along with 52 more. It is not out yet. The swap kit is free in the meantime.