1. Heat 300 ml of rice bran oil at 170°C. Deep fry the whole eggplant at a relatively high temperature, so it does not absorb too much oil.
Usually, when deep-fried wholly or in big pieces, the eggplant is not cooked to the core. This is not the case with kakugama, as only the surface absorbs the oil, while the core is perfectly cooked but still fresh. Even with eggplants with a thin skin which may easily fall apart when heated, the kakugama retains their shape, even after they lose their humidity and their skin is wrinkled.
