Eggplant.  Yep.  It’s one of those foods that looks ugly.  Once cooked that is.  And ugly food…well…it’s not that appetising. So eggplant has taken a while to become edible.  But I’ve cracked the eggplant eatability code.  It involves cheese, panko crumbs and eggplant.  It involves oil and it involves frying but the end result is so yummy, that really, I can’t be convinced to change that! If you really need to, give them a go baked, but trust me, they are so yummy as is that panko crumbed eggplant and mozzarella might just become a new family favourite.

Why on earth would I want to get eggplant into my kids diet?  Really? Is this some new parenting challenge designed to make other parents feel like they aren’t keeping up with the Jones’s?  Nope.  It’s because I discovered it late in life.  And it’s so yummy and good for you and there are so many different cuisines and recipes it can be used in.  I’m hoping that this gentle introduction to eggplant will result in being able to try baba ganoush or other amazing eggplant dishes without too much fuss.

I wanted to call this dish melanzana e mozza in carrozza but thought you’d all look at me a bit funny.  I love the Italian word for eggplant- melanzana…it sounds so cool, doesn’t it?  And mozza is my shortened version of mozzarella so that it ryhmes with in carrozza (which means in a carriage). sorry, I’m just digressing into a language lesson.

Anyway, you could give these a funky name of your own- Master 3 called them ufffoos.  That means UFO’s. 😉 They are so yummy with oozy cheese and the crunchy coating…that you almost forget about the eggplant at the bottom.  Seriously, oozy cheese is all I need in life.

Expert tip: try to get an eggplant that is the same width as the mozzarella.

Panko Crumbed Eggplant and Mozzarella

Yield: 10 stacks

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 15 minutes

Delicious and oozy panko crumbed eggplant and mozzarella.  A scrummy into to eggplant- everything is better when crumbed!

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Ingredients

• 10 slices mozzarella
• 10 slices eggplant
• 1 egg, lightly whisked with 1/2 cup water
• 1 cup wholemeal flour
• 1 cup panko crumbs
• olive oil for frying

Instructions

1. Stack a slice of mozzarella on a slice eggplant and dip together into the flour.
2. Then dip into the egg wash then sip into the panko crumbs, coating well.
3. Pop the crumbed eggplant and mozzarella into the fridge for 10 minutes.
4. Heat the oil in a medium frypan over medium heat.
5. Fry each stack in the oil, eggplant down first until golden.
6. Then flip and fry one to two minutes until lightly golden.
7. Serve hot.