Fried Eggplant Balls

The eggplant balls are a tasty and versatile dish that can be enjoyed either as an appetizer or as a main course. Here is the recipe:

Ingredients

• 2 large eggplants
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 50 g of grated cheese (Parmesan or Pecorino)
• 1 bunch of fresh basil
• 1 egg
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Breadcrumbs (about 100-150 g, depending on the eggplants’ absorption)
• Oil for frying (seed oil or olive oil for a more intense flavor)

Preparation

1. Start by washing the eggplants, removing the ends, and cutting them into cubes.
2. Steam the eggplants or cook them in a little water until soft, for about 10-15 minutes. You can also bake them in parchment paper for about half an hour at 180 °C.
3. Once cooked, put them in a colander and press them with a spoon to remove excess liquid.
4. Transfer the eggplants to a bowl and add finely chopped garlic, grated cheese, hand-torn basil leaves, the egg, salt, and pepper to taste.
5. Mix everything together and add breadcrumbs until you get a homogeneous and moldable mixture. If too wet, add more breadcrumbs.
6. Shape the mixture into balls and coat them with breadcrumbs.
7. Heat the oil in a pan and, once the right temperature is reached (a piece of breadcrumb should fry without burning), fry the balls until golden.
8. Drain the balls on paper towels to remove excess oil.
9. Serve the balls warm or at room temperature.

Curiosity

Eggplant balls can be an excellent way to make those who generally don’t prefer vegetables appreciate them. Eggplant is very versatile and, paired with the right ingredients, can turn into a dish full of flavor. In some cases, other types of cheese such as mozzarella can be included in the recipe for eggplant balls to make them even more stringy and delicious.