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Maqali (fried vegetables)

Lebanese fried vegetable selection

Course Appetizer, Side Dish, Snack
Cuisine Lebanese
Keyword Mezze, Quick and Easy, vegan
Cook Time 20 minutes
Servings 4
Author Zaatar and Zaytoun

Ingredients

  • ½ a small eggplant (aubergine)
  • 1 zucchini (courgette)
  • ½ a cauliflower
  • 2 medium potatoes
  • Salt
  • Vegetable oil

Instructions

  1. Wash the vegetables and pass the zucchini and eggplant through the 2mm blade in the food processor. Lay them out onto a wide tray and sprinkle with salt.
  2. Divide the cauliflower florets into small bitesize chunks, removing the thick stem. Sprinkle with salt and lay on a tray

  3. Leave the zucchini, eggplant and cauliflower out for a few hours, ideally in direct sunshine, and blot out any moisture with paper towels.

  4. Peel and slice the potatoes into thin rounds and slice lengthways again into fries no more than 5mm thick.

  5. When you are ready to fry, pour enough vegetable oil into a deep stainless steel pan (approximately ¾ full) and heat up the oil on medium-high heat

  6. Place one potato chip into the oil and when it begins to sizzle well, fry the potato chips until golden

  7. Then fry the zucchini and cauliflower before the eggplant in batches (do not overcrowd the pan). Transfer to plates lined with paper towels to drain extra oil.

  8. Enjoy as part of a mezze selection or in a wrap with tomatoes, pickles, tahini sauce and hot sauce.

Recipe Notes

If you are not frying the potato chips (fries) right away you can soak them in a water filled bowl, and drain when you are ready to fry.