Delicious sliced oven fried eggplant starts with a flavorful breading that's baked in the oven until the sides have a nice crispy crunch. Serve up this easy to make vegan eggplant recipe in so many ways with lots of variety. Use it to make a baked eggplant parmesan, a sandwich or serve it up on its own as a side dish or main course.
Slice the eggplants lengthwise into ½ inch thick slices.
Lay the eggplant out in a single layer on a baking tray or pan lined with a tea towel or paper towel. Sprinkle lightly with salt.
Let eggplant stand for 30 minutes to remove any bitterness. When time has elapsed, pat the eggplant dry and wipe off most of the salt.
Prepping the breading for the eggplant
When the salting of the eggplant is almost done, mix together 2 tablespoons of flax meal and ½ cup of water. Stir to combine and let sit for five minutes.
Combine the breadcrumbs, cornmeal and spices in a shallow bowl or plate. Mix well. Place the flax egg in a separate bowl or plate.
Breading the eggplant
Cover the baking sheet with parchment paper and brush the top with a liberal amount of olive oil.
Place each eggplant slice into the flax mixture, turning to coat both sides and the edges.
Shake off any excess flax mixture and then place eggplant slice into the breadcrumbs, pressing down gently. Turn the slice of eggplant over and repeat on the other side and the edges too.
Place the eggplant on the baking sheet pan in a single layer. Repeat with remaining eggplant.
Cook the eggplant
Place into the oven and cook for 10-12 minutes, then remove and flip each piece over.
Return the tray to the oven and cook for an additional 10-12 minutes on the other side. The eggplant should be golden brown, crispy on the outside and tender on the inside.
When ready, remove from the oven and serve as desired.
Notes
Tips for BEST resultsTake the time to sweat the eggplant. It removes the bitter flavor and also helps the eggplant cook up more crispy. Rinse the eggplant after the salting so the final preparation isn’t overly salty. Pat it dry with a towel after rinsing and before proceeding with the breading process.Keep the peel on the eggplant for more nutrition. The breading doesn’t stick as well to the peel, but it provides added nutrition that I think is an excellent tradeoff for keeping it intact.When breading the eggplant, make sure the flax egg covers the top, bottom and all the sides so the breadcrumbs stick to it.Avoid globs of flax on the eggplant when you get ready to dip in the breadcrumbs. If your flax egg is too thick, add a bit more liquid to thin it out. Too much flax prevents the crust from getting crispy.Be sure to preheat your oven. That way the crust begins to crisp up immediately when the eggplant begins to cook. A hot oven browns and crisps up the outside the best.