In case you haven't noticed, I love tacos. I honestly can't think of much that can't go in a flour or corn tortilla. Before my vegan days I was obsessed with fish tacos and I wanted to recreate a vegan version of them without the use of soy or faux meats. I instantly thought back to one of my older recipes "Eggplant "fish" style filets from my first cookbook Easy Vegan and the rest was history. For this recipe, I used baby eggplant because once they are peeled and sliced they are the perfect size but you can use whatever eggplant you find. I also paired it with an herby coleslaw.
Cook Time:30 Minutes
Makes 6 tacos
Ingredients
6 small flour tortillas
1 avocado sliced
oil for cooking
fresh cilantro for garnish
The Eggplant
2 baby eggplant peeled and sliced into 1/4-inch-thick slices (you can also use 1 regular size eggplant or 2 Chinese eggplant
The Wet Batter
3/4 cup of flour. I use all-purpose but you could use just about any flour as an alternative
1-1/2 cup of water
1 tbs of Sriracha sauce
3 tsp of kelp seasoning
1 tsp off chili powder
1 tsp of old bay seasoning
pinch of sea salt
The Dry Batter
2 cups of panko bread crumbs
1 tsp of old bay seasoning
1 tsp of kelp seasoning (this gives it a fishy flavor)
1/2 tsp of salt
The Coleslaw
1/2 of a small savoy cabbage thinly sliced - you can use green cabbage or Napa cabbage. I prefer Napa or savoy because they are much more tender than your typical green cabbage.
1/2 a purple cabbage thinly sliced
1/2 cup of vegan mayo
1-2 tbs off agave nectar
1/4 cup of chopped fresh dill
2 tbs of chopped fresh parsley
2 tbs of fresh chopped chives
sea salt and pepper to taste
1 tbs of fresh lemon juice
sea salt and pepper to taste
1. First make the coleslaw by combining all the ingredients into a medium size bowl and mix well. Add sea salt to taste and set aside.
2. Next make the wet batter by mixing all the ingredients into a medium size bowl and set it aside. The batter should be pancake batter consistency. If not, simply add more flour or water if necessary
3. Now mix all the ingredients for the dry batter in a shallow bowl or plate.
4. Cook the eggplant by adding about 1 cup of cooking oil into a medium size skillet and pace it over medium heat. Then take the eggplant and pace it into the wet batter making sure that it is thoroughly coated.
5. Immediately roll it in the panko bread mixture and press the crumbs onto all sides of the eggplant and gently place it into the hot oil. Cook the eggplant for about 2-3 minutes on both sides.
6. Remove the eggplant from the pan and drain on a plate lined with paper towels and immediately sprinkle on a pinch of sea salt.
