Brinjal fritters

Ingredients

• 4 medium Brinjal (eggplant) (Any medium-sized brinjals work well; choose firm ones without soft spots.)
• 1 teaspoon Salt (For the par-boiling water.)
• 2 litres Water (Enough to fully submerge the brinjals in the pot.)
• 1 batch Batter (Prepared as described in the batter recipe referenced in the source (see inline batter preparation in instructions).)
• 500 ml Fat (Use an abundance of fat for deep frying — enough to fully submerge the fritters. Lard, ghee, or a neutral cooking oil are all historically appropriate.)
• 1 pinch Salt (For dusting over the finished fritters immediately before serving.)

Instructions

1. 1Fill a large saucepan with approximately 2 litres of water and add 1 teaspoon of salt. Bring to a rolling boil over high heat. Add the whole brinjals and cook for about 8–10 minutes, until they are just tender when pierced with a skewer or knife but still holding their shape — they should not be fully cooked through. You want them soft enough to slice easily but firm enough not to fall apart. Remove the brinjals from the water and set them aside on a plate or tray to cool completely to room temperature. Do not skip the cooling step, as warm brinjal will not slice as cleanly and will absorb too much batter.
2. 2Once the brinjals are fully cold, place them on a clean chopping board. Using a sharp knife, slice each brinjal lengthways (from stem to base) into pieces approximately 5 cm (2 inches) long and 0.5 cm (¼ inch) thick. Try to keep all the pieces a similar thickness so they cook evenly. Discard the stem ends. Lay the slices out in a single layer on a plate ready for battering.
3. 3Prepare the batter as referenced in the source recipe. Since the original batter recipe is not reproduced here, prepare a standard plain coating batter suitable for frying: combine plain flour and water (and optionally a pinch of salt) and whisk until you have a smooth, lump-free batter with the consistency of thin cream — thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. The batter must be made fresh just before frying. Set it aside in a bowl wide enough to dip the brinjal slices.
4. 4Pour an abundance of fat into a deep, heavy-bottomed saucepan or deep frying pan — enough so that the brinjal fritters will be fully submerged (at least 500 ml). Heat the fat over medium-high heat until it is hot enough for frying. To test, drop a tiny amount of batter into the fat — it should sizzle and rise to the surface immediately. If it sinks and sits without sizzling, the fat is not yet hot enough. Be careful when working with hot fat and never leave it unattended.
5. 5Working in small batches, take each slice of brinjal and dip it into the prepared batter, turning it so it is fully coated on all sides. Let any excess batter drip off for a moment, then carefully lower the coated slice into the hot fat. Do not overcrowd the pan — fry only a few pieces at a time so the temperature of the fat stays high and the fritters become crisp rather than greasy and soggy. Fry each batch for approximately 3–4 minutes, turning the pieces with tongs or a slotted spoon, until they are a crisp, deep golden brown all over. Adjust the heat as needed to maintain a steady sizzle throughout cooking.
6. 6As each batch of fritters is cooked, remove them from the fat using a slotted spoon or tongs and transfer them immediately to a plate or tray lined with a clean cloth or several layers of kitchen paper. Spread them out in a single layer and let the paper absorb the excess fat for 1–2 minutes. The fritters should be drained quite dry — do not stack them at this stage as they will steam and lose their crispness.
7. 7Once the fritters are drained and still hot, sprinkle a small pinch of salt evenly over them. Serve immediately while they are still crisp. According to the original recipe, these fritters should be accompanied by Dutch sauce. Serve the Dutch sauce on the side in a small bowl or jug for dipping or drizzling.