How to Make Breaded Vegetables- Eggplant, Zucchini, etc

How to Make Breaded Vegetables- Eggplant, Zucchini, etc.
This is how I make breaded vegetables! Zucchini and cauliflower make especially tasty appetizers. With the eggplant, it is useful as an appetizer one day, and the next day the leftovers can be used to make Eggplant Parmesan! Please note that I am not a chef or cooking expert. I learned this process by watching my mother and grandmother and this is how I learned to make breaded vegetables! Since there are no okay guides yet written on this subject, I thought I would share my method with those who may be interested.
For demonstration purposes below, I am using eggplant. (Zucchini is done in exactly the same manner.)


1) Select one or two medium size eggplants, depending on how many people will be eating! Two eggplants makes a lot of appetizers- two big plates full! Peel and slice into 1/4" thick pieces, about 2" to 3" wide. Slice off circles if the eggplant is slender or divide it up into sectionsto make square or rectangular shaped pieces.

2) Layer the slices into a colander and spinkle each layer generously with salt. Let sit for a few hours. This will drain excess moisture from the eggplant sothe fried appetizers do not end up mushy. Cover with weighted plates on top and press down at the end to squeeze out any remaining liquid. Finally, pat down with paper towels to remove excess moisture.


3) Prepare the seasoned bread crumb mixture. For convenience, use flavored bread crumbs (my favorite is 4C) found in the grocery store because it is already seasoned and can be used alone. It can also be mixedwith a portion of crackermeal or cornmeal, if desired. Additionally, grated parmesan or romano cheese can be added to the mix. For this demonstration, I used 1/2 breadcrumbs and 1/2 cracker meal. Then I added about 1/3 c. grated cheese and mixed all together in a pie plate.

4) Prepare 3 shallow pans or pie plates with the following (one in each plate): flour (a few cups), beaten eggs (3 or 4 eggs), and the breadcrumb mixture.

5) Dip the slices of eggplant into the flour, coating all sides well