Grilled Vegetables
Grilled Asian Vegetable Recipe
These are a healthier adaptation of a Thai dish, which is usually served deep fried as a sort of fritter - you can think of them as an Asian vegetarian take on the Mid-Atlantic crab cake. However, here they are done on the grill instead for a lower fat content and the flavor of the grill enlivening the taste of the vegetables.
This is a recipe which is mostly prepared in the kitchen rather than on the grill; but you will not mind when you have these healthy Thai appetizers with some sweet and sour sauce, or fiery Thai Sriracha sauce. Even kids will love eating their vegetables in the form of these delicious grilled vegetable cakes - they do not have to know there is eggplant and carrots involved. You can change up the vegetables used in this recipe as long as you keep the proportions roughly equal. Spinach, gai lan (also known as Chinese broccoli) and many other vegetables work well in these grilled vegetable delights.
Grilled Asian Vegetable Cakes
Ingredients -
1 large egg or 2 small eggs
2 cups eggplant, diced finely
½ cup grated carrots
⅓ cup breadcrumbs (unseasoned)
⅓ cup fresh basil, torn (Thai basil is best for this, especially holy basil, but any will do)
¼ c. chopped green onions
salt, black pepper and crushed red pepper to taste
Fresh basil or cilantro, for garnish
Preparation:
Like any kind of fritter, preparation is pretty straightforward: simply mix everything together, adding a little more breadcrumbs if necessary.
Form into patty shapes with a cookie cutter or by hand.
Once the grill is warm (which will allow your vegetable cakes plenty of time to set), add them to a well-cleaned grill on medium heat.
Depending on exactly how hot your grill is, it can take anywhere between 3-6 minutes per side, so you will want to keep an eye on these as they grill.
Once they are done, serve hot with sweet and sour, chili sauce or the condiments of your choice.
(Serves 4)
A Picture of our Grilled Asian Vegetable Cakes - These vegetable cakes have an Asian flare and flavor to them and are a nice change from crab cakes or other similar fried cakes. The grill makes these vegetable cakes a lot healthier than if they had been fried..
