Air Fryer Eggplant Fries And Dill Dip Recipe

No question, fries are a staple when it comes to side dishes, and rightly so — any form of crispy and salty potato is a welcome accompaniment to sandwiches, burgers, and wraps. But the humble potato isn't the only vegetable that can be turned into a fry. Eggplant takes center stage in this recipe for air fryer fries, and it's a great way to bring in a new veggie to your side dish repertoire. The best part is, when you use the air fryer you get a crispy and delicious texture without deep frying, making these fries a lighter alternative. A coating of seasoned breadcrumbs adds an extra level of crunchiness. We're pairing them with a tangy dill dip that is speedy to make and doesn't require getting the food processor out.

Wellness coach and recipe developer Miriam Hahn brings us this recipe and says, "Salting the eggplant strips and letting them drain in a colander is the trick to getting eggplant fries that are crispy on the outside and tender like a potato fry on the inside. You can also make these in an oven using the convection setting if you don't have an air fryer."

To make this recipe, start in the produce aisle and pick up a large eggplant, fresh dill, and lemon. The fresh dill is critical here because the dried stuff just won't cut it.

Then from the dairy aisle grab milk, flour, Parmesan cheese, and plain yogurt. You'll need some seasoned breadcrumbs from the dry goods area and the remaining items you may just have in your pantry — flour, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper, and smoked paprika.

Peel the eggplant.

Cut it into fry-sized batons.

Place the eggplant in a colander, shake on ¼ teaspoon salt, and let it sit for 20 minutes.

Lay the eggplant on a clean dish towel to dry thoroughly.

In a shallow bowl combine the milk and flour.

In another bowl combine the breadcrumbs, Parmesan, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, onion powder, ½ teaspoon salt, pepper, and smoked paprika.

Dip each fry into the wet mixture, then into the dry mixture.

Place the eggplant into the air fryer and cook for 20 minutes at 400 F. You may have to work in batches.

While they are cooking, combine the yogurt, dill, lemon juice, remaining garlic powder, and remaining salt.

Serve the fries with the dill sauce and with ketchup, if desired.

To start, there are many varieties of eggplant and any type will work. If you use Chinese or Japanese eggplant, you will need about 4 of them because they are smaller and thinner. They will take a little more time to peel and cut just based on their shape, but because they are a little drier inside, you can get away without the salting step.

If you have dietary restrictions, you can easily make the eggplant fries and dill dip vegan and gluten-free. For a vegan option, you can use any type of dairy-free milk like soy, oat, flax, or almond. "I like using flax milk for recipes like this because it is a little thicker than almond, soy, or oat," Hahn shares. Then select dairy-free Parmesan and dairy-free yogurt like unsweetened cashew or coconut. To make the recipe gluten-free you'll want to use gluten-free flour like quinoa or millet, as well as gluten-free breadcrumbs.

You can also play around with the spices in the breadcrumb mixture. For a Mexican flair, try chili powder and cumin. Or for an Italian slant, add in basil and oregano or just Italian seasonings.

There are many choices when it comes to dips for eggplant fries. Tzatziki is very similar to the dill dip but has the added freshness of cucumber. It involves a little more work because you have to squeeze the liquid out of the cucumber, but it's worth the extra step.

A simple garlic aioli with mayonnaise, garlic, lemon juice, and spices is a nice complement to the eggplant fries. Another easy dip with a kick of heat is a sriracha mayonnaise combination. Just add a cup of mayonnaise to a small bowl and add 1 to 2 tablespoons of sriracha and a squeeze of lime.

For an Italian touch, another sauce that complements the eggplant fries is a fresh marinara sauce. Simply add canned tomatoes to some sauteed garlic in a pot. Then add basil, oregano, salt, and a little sugar, and blend. This works especially well as an appetizer when serving a pizza and salad.