This air fryer Thai eggplant is for anyone who’s given up on getting eggplant crispy at home without using half a bottle of oil. The air fryer finally solves that problem, and the sweet, savoury Thai sauce with basil and garlic makes it genuinely hard to stop eating.
This air fryer Thai eggplant packs in so much flavour that it’s hard to believe how few ingredients go into it. It’s become one of our favourite vegetarian recipes at home, and if eggplant has always been a tough sell in your house, this might be the recipe that changes things.
If you’re bored of eating baingan bharta and the occasional brinjal curry, this Thai basil eggplant is going to be a breath of fresh air in your kitchen. The Thai basil, garlic, and ginger give it a really bold and aromatic flavour, and the whole dish comes together in about 35 minutes, making it a perfect choice for your next weekly lunch or dinner.
Ingredients for Thai Eggplant
Eggplant: One large eggplant, peeled and chopped into large cubes. Salted for 45 minutes before cooking to draw out moisture.
Tapioca Flour: Used to coat the eggplant before air frying. It gives a lighter, crispier finish than regular flour.
Sauce: Light soy sauce, oyster sauce, water, and sugar. Simple but brings that sweet-savoury Thai flavour together.
Aromatics: Thinly sliced garlic and julienned ginger, sautéed quickly before the sauce goes in.
Thai Red Chillies: Thinly sliced, added at the end for heat and colour.
Fresh Basil Leaves: Added right at the end for that signature Thai fragrance.
Sesame Seeds: Sprinkled on top for a nutty finish.
Sesame Oil: I’ve used sesame oil for its flavour, but any neutral cooking oil works.
Frequently Asked Questions
The most common reason is skipping or rushing the salting step. If the eggplant still has moisture in it, no amount of air frying will make it crispy. Salt it for the full 45 minutes, then pat it completely dry before coating with tapioca flour. Also make sure you’re not overcrowding the basket; the pieces need space for the hot air to circulate.
Zucchini, sweet potato, and cauliflower all work well with this same method and sauce. Adjust the air frying time based on the vegetable since some cook faster than others. The sauce and aromatics stay the same.
Crispy tofu or air-fried chicken pieces tossed in alongside the eggplant work really well. Cook them separately in the air fryer first, then add everything to the sauce together at the end.
You can, but eggplant absorbs oil like a sponge, which is exactly what this recipe is trying to avoid. The air fryer gives you the same crispiness with barely any oil. If you do deep fry, make sure the oil is very hot so the eggplant spends less time in it.
Richa’s Top Tips
- Don’t skip the salting step. This is the most important part of the recipe. Salting the eggplant for 45 minutes draws out the excess moisture that usually makes it soggy. Pat it dry with a towel after salting for the crispiest result.
- Use tapioca flour, not cornflour or maida. Tapioca flour gives a much lighter, crispier coating that stays crunchy even after tossing in the sauce. Other flours tend to turn heavy and chewy.
- Air fry in two stages. The first round at 170°C cooks the eggplant through, and the second blast at 200°C for 3 minutes crisps up the outside. Skipping the second stage means soft eggplant instead of crispy.
- Let the eggplant cool slightly before removing from the basket. If you try to take it out when it’s too hot, it sticks to the basket, and the coating peels off. A couple of minutes of cooling makes them release easily.
- Toss in the sauce right before serving. The crispy coating absorbs liquid quickly, so the longer it sits in the sauce, the softer it gets. Add the eggplant to the sauce at the last minute for the best texture.
Storage Tips
- In the fridge: Store the eggplant and sauce separately in airtight containers for up to a day. The eggplant will lose its crispiness as it sits, but the flavour stays good.
- Freezing: Not recommended. The crispy coating doesn’t survive freezing and the eggplant turns mushy once thawed.
- Reheating tip: Pop the eggplant back in the air fryer at 200°C for 2-3 minutes to crisp it up again, then toss it in freshly warmed sauce. Microwaving will make it soft and soggy.
Serving Ideas
This air fryer Thai eggplant works as a starter, a side, or even a main depending on how you serve it:
- As a side to curries: It pairs beautifully alongside butter chicken or Thai chicken curry. The crispy eggplant adds texture and a completely different flavour to the plate.
- With jeera rice: The simplest way to turn this into a full meal. The sauce coats the rice, and every spoonful is satisfying.
- With Coconut Rice: The nutty coconut rice with crispy Thai eggplant on top makes for a really lovely vegetarian meal.
- As a starter with dips: Serve the crispy eggplant alongside hummus or garlicky yogurt party dip for a spread when you have people over.
- On its own: As a starter or a snack, the crispy eggplant with that glossy sauce needs nothing else.
Customisation Ideas
- Add protein: Crispy tofu or air-fried chicken pieces tossed in alongside the eggplant work really well. Cook them separately first, then add everything to the sauce together.
- Try it with zucchini: If eggplant isn’t available, thick zucchini chunks work with the same method and sauce. They crisp up nicely and hold the coating well.
- Make it spicier: Add a teaspoon of sriracha or gochujang to the sauce for a deeper, more complex heat beyond the Thai red chillies.
- Add cashews: Toss in a handful of roasted cashews when you add the eggplant to the sauce. The crunch and nuttiness pair really well with the sweet-savoury Thai flavours.
- Top with crumbled feta: A little feta scattered over the hot eggplant adds a salty, tangy bite that works surprisingly well with the sweet-savoury Thai sauce.
Did You Know?
Eggplant is technically a berry, not a vegetable. Botanically, it belongs to the same family as tomatoes, potatoes, and bell peppers, called the nightshade family. What we think of as the flesh is actually the fruit’s pulp, and those tiny seeds inside are the real seeds of the plant. It was originally cultivated in India over 4,000 years ago and made its way to the rest of the world through Arab traders.
If eggplant has been sitting at the bottom of your grocery list for a while, give it another chance with this Thai eggplant recipe. I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised. When you try it, share your pictures with me on Instagram @my_foodstory, I’d love to see your crispy eggplant.
Watch Thai Eggplant Recipe Video
Air Fryer Thai Eggplant
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 large egg plant approx.350 gms, chopped into large cubes, approx.4 cups (refer step 1)
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 4 tablespoons tapioca flour
- 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon light soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon oyster sauce
- 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon water
- ½ teaspoon sugar
- 2 teaspoons sesame oil or any neutral cooking oil
- 4 garlic cloves thinly sliced
- 1 inch ginger julienned
- 8-10 basil leaves
- 2 thai red chillies thinly sliced
- 1 teaspoon sesame seeds
Instructions
Prepping egg plants
- Peel egg plant (watch the video for more info), half them lengthways, cut each half into 3-4 long pieces (depending on the size of egg plant) and cut each piece into large chunks / triangular pieces.
Salting egg plants
- Transfer to a bowl, add salt, toss well and set aside for 45 minutes to an hour, so it releases water (approx. 3 tablespoons). Do not skip this step as it ensures that the egg plants turn out crispy.
- Transfer the egg plants to a towel and pat dry to remove any moisture on them. Transfer to a bowl, add tapioca flour and toss until evenly coated.
- Take soy sauce, oyster sauce, water, sugar in a bowl, combine them well and set aside.
Air frying eggplants
- Pre-heat the airfryer at 170C and brush the basket with oil. Add the coated eggplants, brush with oil and air fry at 170C for 12-13 minutes till they are cooked well. Airfry at 200C for 3 minutes till they turn crisp from the outside. Do not remove them when they are too hot as they stick to the basket and peel off. Cool them a bit, remove from the airfryer and transfer to a plate.
- Heat a pan with oil, add garlic, ginger & saute on high for a few seconds till fragrant. Add sauce mix & cook for 1-2 minutes till it boils. Add air fried egg plants and toss for a minute till the sauce coats the egg plants. Top with basil leaves, red chillies & sesame seeds.
Video
Nutrition
This article was researched and written by Harita Odedra.
The post Air Fryer Thai Eggplant appeared first on My Food Story.
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