Baked Eggplant Fries with Lemon Dill Dipping Sauce

Serves: 6  Prep Time: 20 min. Cook Time: 1 hour for dip and 10-15 min. for fries

Ingredients:

For the Dip:

• 1 cup plain soy yogurt
• 1 teaspoon dill
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• Fresh black pepper to taste

For the Fries: 

• 1 eggplant, cut into strips
• 1/3 cup plain soy yogurt
• 1 tablespoon dried parsley
• ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
• ¼ teaspoon paprika
• ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
• ¼ teaspoon onion powder
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 2 cups whole-wheat seasoned breadcrumbs

Directions:

For the Dip:

1. Combine all ingredients in a medium-sized bowl. Place in the refrigerator for a minimum of 1 hour to chill and allow flavors to combine.

For the Fries:

1. Preheat oven to 450°F. Line two large baking sheets with a non-stick baking mat or parchment paper.
2. Cut the top and bottom of your eggplant. Cut the eggplant in half lengthwise and then into quarters. Next, cut the eggplant quarters into slices roughly ¼-inch-thick. Now cut the eggplant slices into strips roughly the size of French fries.
3. Combine yogurt, parsley, garlic powder, paprika, ground cumin, onion powder, lemon juice, and apple cider vinegar in a large bowl.
4. Toss eggplant fries in soy yogurt mixture, coating evenly. Place breadcrumbs on a plate and lightly coat eggplant fries with breadcrumbs. Spread out evenly on trays making sure they don’t touch.
5. Bake in preheated oven for 10 – 15 minutes or until golden brown and crispy. Turn halfway during baking to brown evenly.
6. Serve immediately. Can be accompanied with lemon dill dipping sauce.