Crispy Eggplant With Minty Yogurt

Here’s a clever way to use a jar of mint jelly you've had sitting in your fridge since Easter: stir it into a tangy yogurt sauce and serve it with crispy eggplant rounds. The mint jelly adds a fresh herbal twist, plus welcome sweetness to balance out the crunchy coating on the eggplant rounds. Make sure to buy panko breadcrumbs, which are Japanese-style and much crispier than the standard American variety.

Ingredients

• ½ cup plain whole-milk Greek yogurt
 
• 1 tablespoon mint jelly
 
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice (from 1 lime)
 
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
 
• ¾ cup (about 3¼ oz.) all-purpose flour
 
• 3 large eggs, lightly beaten
 
• 2 cups panko (Japanese-style breadcrumbs)
 
• 1 medium-size (15 oz.) eggplant, unpeeled and sliced crosswise into ¼-in.-thick rounds
 
• 8 tablespoons olive oil, divided
 
• ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
 
• Fresh cilantro leaves

How to Make It

Step 1

Stir together yogurt, mint jelly, lime juice, and ½ teaspoon of the salt in a small bowl; set aside.

Step 2

Place flour in a bowl. Place eggs in a separate bowl. Place panko in a third bowl. Dredge eggplant rounds in flour; dip in eggs, then dredge in panko.

Step 3

Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high. Add ¼ of the eggplant to hot oil; cook until crisp on both sides, about 1 minute per side. Transfer eggplant to a plate lined with paper towels; wipe skillet clean. Repeat process 3 times, adding an additional 2 tablespoons of the oil and one-fourth of the eggplant per batch.

Step 4

Sprinkle cooked eggplant evenly with remaining ½ teaspoon salt. Divide eggplant evenly among 6 plates; spoon yogurt sauce evenly onto plates. Sprinkle evenly with paprika; garnish with cilantro.