Crispy and Delicious Fried Eggplant (Gaji Bugak)
Crispy and Delicious Fried Eggplant (Gaji Bugak)
A Special Dish Using Summer Eggplant! Steamed, Dried, and Fried Eggplant Bugak Recipe
The purple gem that comes to mind with summer is, of course, eggplant! This time, we’re introducing how to make ‘Gaji Bugak’ using seasonal summer eggplant, which is crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside. Gaji Bugak, enhanced with steaming and drying for deeper flavor and crispiness, will be a fantastic side dish as well as a wonderful snack. Whether you air-dry it in the sun or use a food dehydrator, it’s surprisingly easy to make, so if you want to enjoy summer eggplant in a unique way, definitely give it a try!
Main Ingredients- 10 eggplants
- 1 Tbsp salt
- 1 cup all-purpose flour (approx. 120g)
- Vegetable oil, for frying
- A pinch of sugar (for finishing)
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
First, wash the eggplants thoroughly and pat them dry. Slice them into flat pieces about 0.5cm thick. Sprinkle 1 Tbsp of salt evenly over the sliced eggplant and let it sit for about 5 minutes. This process draws out the moisture, making the eggplant crispier when fried. After 5 minutes, gently squeeze out the released water with your hands and discard it.
Step 2
Now it’s time to coat the eggplant with flour. Prepare about 1 cup (using a standard paper cup) of flour. Any type of flour can be used; fried chicken flour or pancake mix are also good options. The amount of flour can be adjusted based on the eggplant’s moisture level, but using a little more than too little is recommended for better coating.
Step 3
Place the salted eggplant slices into the prepared flour and gently toss them with your hands, ensuring the flour coats each slice evenly. It’s important to achieve a thin and uniform flour coating on the surface of the eggplant. They should be coated lightly, not clumped together, similar to the texture shown in the photo.
Step 4
The flour-coated eggplants will be steamed. Fill a steamer with water and bring it to a boil. Once boiling, carefully arrange the eggplant slices in a single layer on the steamer basket, ensuring they don’t overlap.
Step 5
Place the steamer basket over the boiling water and steam for about 7 minutes, starting from when the steam begins to rise. Be careful not to overcook, as excessively steamed eggplant can become mushy and lose its pleasant texture.
Step 6
The key is to steam just enough so that the flour coating is cooked through, without making the eggplant too soft. After 7 minutes, carefully remove the steamed eggplant from the steamer and let it cool slightly.
Step 7
Once the steamed eggplants have cooled a bit, spread them out on a wide tray or rack, ensuring they are not overlapping. If you have a sunny day, you can dry them directly in the sun. If the weather isn’t ideal or you want to speed up the process, using a food dehydrator or the drying function of an oven is an excellent alternative.
Step 8
In our case, we spread the eggplant slices out near our garden in the countryside. Thanks to the clear weather, they naturally dried in the sun and wind for about 3 days. Make sure to dry them thoroughly in a well-ventilated area.
Step 9
Once properly dried, the eggplant should feel stiff and crispy to the touch. This is the perfect state for frying into bugak. Store the dried eggplant in an airtight container to maintain its crispiness for a long time, making it ready for whenever you crave it. You can also make bugak this way with other vegetables and ingredients like lotus root, sweet potato, or seaweed.
Step 10
Whenever you want to enjoy them, simply take out the desired amount of dried eggplant from the freezer and fry it. It offers a different charm compared to regular fried eggplant; the steaming and drying process concentrates the eggplant’s natural sweetness and flavor, creating a unique taste.
Step 11
Fry the crispy dried eggplant slices in preheated vegetable oil until golden brown. Drain excess oil. While still warm, sprinkle a little sugar on top for a sweet finish that even children will love. You can also lightly salt them for a sweet and savory flavor according to your preference.
Step 12
On this day, we also made chili bugak. The crispy fried eggplant bugak is not only a superb snack but also a hearty side dish that complements any meal perfectly. Enjoy it with a warm bowl of rice for a truly delicious experience!
