Eggplant Fingers with Hummus-Labne Dipping Sauce

Ingredients:
3 Italian eggplants, cut into planks
1-2 cup(s) matzo meal
1/2-1 tablespoon hot Mexican chile powder
2 eggs, beaten
salt
freshly ground black pepper

dipping sauce:
3 tablespoons hummus, at room temperature*
3 tablespoons labne, at room temperature
1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika

Ingredients:
Pour the egg into a shallow bowl. Then mix together the matzo meal and the spices in a second shallow bowl. Coat both sides of each eggplant slice in egg, then dip both sides in the matzo meal. Heat about a 1/4 inch of oil in a large skillet.

Fry each plank in the hot oil, about 3 minutes on each side, until golden. If frying in batches, keep the cooked eggplant in the oven at 200 until ready to eat.

Stir together the dip ingredients. Serve the dip at room temperature and the eggplant very hot.

*I actually just used some Mediterranean style hummus by Tribe and not homemade. Just make sure you use really smooth hummus or the sauce is a little less dippable.

My thoughts:

For some reason, I had the biggest urge to make fried eggplant. I know a lot of people say that eggplant absorbs the oil but it really doesn't if your oil is hot enough. I always test by sticking the point of a chopstick into the oil. When small bubbles run up the sides of the chopstick, the oil is ready. Then, unless you lower the temperature, your eggplant will fry but not be greasy at all. In fact, it will be crisp on the outside and velvety smooth on the inside.