Cookies Preferences
Zucchini and Eggplant Chips to devour! This snack with its garlicky yogurt dip is dusted with sumac which does so much to add a bit of zing to any fatty dish. Sumac is a revelation if you haven't tried it before! Its tart, sour, almost lemony quality make it a welcome addition to eggs or lamb or cauliflower...really almost anything.
Sumac starts off as a berry which comes from the Rhus Coriaria shrub which grows in the hills around the Mediterranean. It's possibly most well-known as one of three ingredients in traditional zaatar (dried zaatar and sesame seeds being the other two). The berries, once dried, are pounded into a coarse powder.
According to @thespruceeats "The name sumac comes from the Aramaic word summaq which means "dark red." As far back as 2,000 years ago, sumac was noted for its healthful properties, namely as a diuretic and anti-flatulent, by Roman Emperor Nero's physician, Pedanius Dioscorides. Before lemons made their way into Europe, the Romans used sumac to add a tanginess to dishes. In North America, indigenous peoples and early pioneers used sumac to treat a variety of ailments, from coughs and sore throats to stomachaches and wounds." Fascinating, right?!?!? Get yourself some sumac as fast as you can and then put it on everything, but most especially this delicious veggie dish which will leave your friends swooning.
for the dusting flour:
1/3 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
for the batter:
1/2 cup flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup water
vegetable oil for frying
2 large zucchini, sliced thinly on mandolin
6 small eggplant, sliced thinly on mandolin
sumac and salt for dusting
whole leaves of parsley or micro herbs to decorate
for the dipping sauce:
1/2 cup labneh or strained yogurt
2 cloves garlic, minced on microplane
3 tablespoons olive oil
pinch of salt
Whisk together the flour and salt for dusting the vegetables in one bowl. In another large bowl mix together the batter ingredients.
Combine the ingredients for the dipping sauce in a bowl and set to one side.
Heat the vegetable oil in a large heavy bottom pot like a Dutch oven until it reaches approximately 350F or 180C. Quickly toss your eggplant and zucchini slices in the dusting flour and then place immediately in the batter allowing any excessive drips to come off before placing in the hot oil. Cook for about 5 minutes, until the batter is crispy and dark golden brown, the vegetables cooked through. Remove from the pot and allow to drain on paper towels for a moment before tossing with the sumac and salt.
On a plate swoosh the dipping sauce on one side and arrange the hot fried vegetables on the other. Garnish with some parsley leave and a sprinkle more sumac on the dip.
