Pan-Fried Vegetables with Carrots, Peppers and Eggplant
In my view, pan-fried vegetables are the best vegetable side for most main courses – neither stewed nor roasted vegetables come close. I love a steak or an escalope served with quickly fried zucchini, carrots, onion, green beans and peas. The flavors and aromas work together beautifully. And a side of pan-fried vegetables is simple and quick to make.
As a rule, whatever goes alongside the main course should dress it up and set it off, adding nutrition and flavor. That is the whole point of a side dish. Vegetable sides are often salads, grains, single vegetables or mixes of coarsely cut produce, as well as cooked vegetables.
For a side of fried vegetables, it is better to use vegetables that are not too juicy. The simplest version is fried potatoes, which everyone knows. It is a versatile dish that can be served on its own – I adore it with sauerkraut or a little salad of fermented cucumbers, a favorite village meal. More elaborate mixes are best fried with carrots and roots – parsnip, celery root – plus onion, bell pepper, green beans and peas.
As they fry, the vegetables heat up a lot and lose much of their moisture. They turn soft and their surface browns. Frying is done in oil, usually vegetable oil – sunflower, olive, corn and so on. As a result, the finished vegetable side can double as a vegetarian dish that meets every rule and standard.
Take whatever seasonal vegetables you have on hand – they are usually in the fridge anyway. Firm vegetables: carrots, celery root, parsnip. Juicier, softer ones: celery stalks, sweet and hot peppers, onion. And, as a nice bonus, vegetables that fry quickly – eggplant and zucchini. Plus mixed herbs for serving.
Each vegetable cooks differently, so frying them all together at once is tricky. The firm roots go in first, then the juicier vegetables, and zucchini and eggplant are fried last. Eggplant soaks up oil readily as it fries, so it should be added to the vegetables at the very end. What's more, you can fry the eggplant separately and add it to the vegetable side at the very end.
Ingredients
2 servings
- Carrots 2
- Parsnip 1
- Hot red pepper 1
- Red bell pepper 2
- Young eggplants 2
- Celery stalk 2
- Herbs (parsley, dill) 5-6 sprigs
- Vegetable oil 50 ml
- Salt, black pepper to taste
Step-by-step recipe
- This vegetable side is easy to make, but its flavor – and its looks – depend heavily on the ingredients. The eggplants should be very young and seedless. Red bell peppers with thick, fleshy walls are best for frying. Use as much hot pepper as you like. The roots should be fresh, not limp. If you like, you can add other suitable vegetables too.
- Since different vegetables take different times to fry, it's worth sorting them into rough groups right from the start. The roots – carrots and parsnip – are fairly firm and take longer. The juicier peppers and celery stalk need to lose some of their moisture before they start to brown. Eggplant soaks up oil well and fries very quickly. Peel all the vegetables, cut them up and put them into separate bowls.
- Pan-fried vegetables are easiest to make in a cast-iron skillet or any other pan with a thick, heavy bottom. Alternatively, you can make this fried vegetable side in a Chinese wok – it turns out great. Pour half of the vegetable oil into the pan and heat it. Cut the peeled parsnip and carrots into long sticks and add them to the oil at the same time. Stirring, fry the roots until they soften and just begin to brown. This takes 4–5 minutes.
- Add the diced celery stalk and the hot pepper – cut it finely or coarsely, as you prefer. Fry the vegetables for another 2–3 minutes. Then add the red bell pepper, seeded and cut into large slices. Salt the vegetables lightly and keep frying over medium heat until the pepper starts to brown, usually 5–6 minutes.
- Cut the eggplants into thin rounds, slightly thicker than the vegetables for a Provençal ratatouille with its classic alternating layers. Add the eggplant to the rest of the vegetables and drizzle with the remaining oil. Stirring, fry the vegetables over medium heat until the eggplant is soft and starts to brown. Altogether, the vegetables take up to 20 minutes to fry. Watch that they don't start to burn, especially the carrots and parsnip.
- If the fried vegetables are served as a side, put them on a plate along with the meat or fish they accompany. Finely chop the herbs and sprinkle them over the vegetables. As a dish on its own, the vegetables can go onto an ordinary plate or into a bowl. I recommend adding some pepper before serving, along with sliced fresh tomatoes and cucumber – it's even tastier that way.
- You can also add zucchini, coarsely chopped onion, fennel, green beans or canned corn to this vegetable side. The key is for all the vegetables to be done at the same time without overcooking.
| Yield: | 2 servings |
| Calories: | 65 |
| Prep: | 10 mins |
| Cooking: | 20 mins |
| Ready in: | 30 mins |
| Category: | Main Dishes |
| Cuisine: | European |
| Rating: |
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4.7
(11)
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