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Switch up your side dish routine with this caramelized eggplant with harissa yogurt recipe

These cubes of eggplant are air fried so you get all that good, crispy texture without the mess or extra calories.
Image; Switch up your side dish routine with this carmelized eggplant with harissa yogurt recipe
Cookbook author Ben Mims found a way to replicate one of his favorite deep-fried eggplant recipes in the air fryer. Denny Culbert
By Ben Mims

Years ago while working in the test kitchen of "Saveur" magazine, I fell in love with a technique for cooking eggplant that involved deep-frying small pieces until caramelized and tender. The process produced an ethereally smooth, custard-like texture in the eggplant, but also made it pretty greasy, something I just dealt with by dabbing at it with what seemed like an entire roll of paper towels. I was so happy when I tried that same technique in the air fryer, and this has become one of my favorite recipes in the book ["Air Fry Every Day"]. Not only do I get an equally wonderful texture, but I have a healthier version without anywhere near the mess to clean up anymore. Try it, and I think you’ll be a convert, too.

Serves 2

  • 1 medium eggplant (about ¾ pound), cut crosswise into ½-inch-thick slices and quartered
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • ½ cup plain yogurt (not Greek)
  • 2 tablespoons harissa paste (see Note)
  • 1 garlic clove, grated on a Microplane grater
  • 2 teaspoons honey
  1. In a bowl, toss together the eggplant and oil, season with salt and pepper, and toss to coat evenly. Transfer to the air fryer and cook at 400°F, shaking the basket every 5 minutes, until the eggplant is caramelized and tender, about 15 minutes.
  2. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together the yogurt, harissa, and garlic, then spread onto a serving plate.
  3. Pile the warm eggplant over the yogurt and drizzle with the honey just before serving.

Note: Harissa is a spicy, slightly smoky condiment that hails from North Africa. If you can’t find it, simply substitute 2 tablespoons tomato paste mixed with 1 tablespoon chili powder and ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper.

Ready for more? Try these 7 air fryer recipes

  1. Chicken parmesan
  2. Easy chicken kebabs
  3. Coconut shrimp
  4. Crispy homemade onion rings
  5. Brussels sprouts
  6. Garlic roasted green beans
  7. Crispy chickpeas

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Recipes and photographs reprinted from Air Fry Every Day: 75 Recipes to Fry, Roast, and Bake Using Your Air Fryer. Copyright © 2018 by Ben Mims. Photographs by Denny Culbert. Published by Clarkson Potter/Publishers, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC.