Curry Eggplant Fries

Finding new and creative ways to prepare vegetables can be challenging, rewarding, and sometimes both.  In my family, we often steam or grill vegetables and lightly season them with salt and pepper. However, once in a while I will step back from my evening dinner routine and surprise my family by preparing vegetables differently. For example: eggplant fries. And these aren't your ordinary eggplant fries. These have a nice crispy, curry-seasoned outer shell and a soft center. I discovered that if you soak cut eggplant in water for a couple of hours, the eggplant will soak up the water like a sponge. When you fry them, the eggplant doesn't absorb the oil through its flesh but instead cooks the outside to a perfect golden brown finish. The seasonings add another layer of flavor to the fries, which need no ketchup or any other dip. They are perfect on their own while still warm. Once they cool down, they aren't as delicious, so serve them right away. This shouldn't be a problem in my experience they disappear quickly. These fries are definitely a once-in-a-while treat for us. I hope they will become a once-in-a-while treat for you, too!