Deep Fried Eggplant Balls

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Deep fried eggplant balls is a classic recipe from the South of Italy, flavoured with basil, garlic and Parmesan, even the fuzziest children will devour those delightful vegetable bites. They are perfect to serve as a starter, on a buffet table or as canapes.

Why they are so delicious

If you like Italian meatballs you will love these eggplant balls and if you are vegetarian you just found the best alternative to meatballs.

Steamed eggplants are used instead of meat, and they are mixed with Italian flavoured breadcrumbs. They are mixed with garlic, basil and parmesan and I don’t think I need to say more.

Italian seasoned breadcrumbs

I always use Italian seasoned breadcrumbs in many of my recipes, that is why I usually prepare a large amount and keep it in the freezer. They don’t need to be defrosted ahead of time.

If you want to know more about it you can read the article: Grated Parmesan and Breadcrumbs. also check out the article: Once a Month Freezer Meal Prep to find out what else I keep in my freezer.

I always keep the stale bread aside and when I have time I prepare the breadcrumbs and freeze it. Here are the ingredients I use in proportion to 3 cups of grated stale bread:

3 cups of grated stale bread
1/2 cup of parmesan
1/2 cup of basil leaves or parsley
1 garlic cloves

If you are making it only for this recipe use the amount listed on the recipe card below

How to prepare the Italian seasoned breadcrumbs

Greate the parmesan in a shredder
Cut the stale bread in chunks small enough to fit in the shredder
Shredd the bread putting the garlic first so the bread absorbs the flavour
Take a cup of shredded breadcrumbs and blend it with the basil leaves (used shredded bread otherwise you risk to break the blender as the bread is too hard for a blender)
Add the shredded parmesan to the breadcrumbs
Then the breadcrumbs mixed with the basil

Following this procedure will minimize waste (like basil been stuck in the side of the blender, or parmesan left inside the shredder) and a perfect combination of flavours (the breadcrumbs absorbing the garlic and the basil)

It is best if the breadcrumbs rest overnight to absorbs all the flavours. If you freeze them you don’t have to worry about it and use them directly.

How to make the deep-fried eggplant balls

Peel and cut the eggplants into small cubes
Cove and put in the microwave for 10 minutes at high power
Open carefully make sure you don’t get burned by the steam. Stir and put back in the microwave for 10 more minutes
Let it cool down completely, 1 or 2 hours

Taking a handful at the time squeeze out the water
Mix with all the ingredients. You can prepare it the day before and let it rest in the fridge overnight
Shape them into oval balls that fit into the palm of your hand
Deep fry in oil
Once cooked place on an absorbent kitchen paper to drain the excess oil
You can eat them hot or at room temperature

Step by step preparing the eggplant balls

Tips to make the best eggplant balls

Here a few pointers:

When I buy eggplants I always choose the thinnest as they usually have fewer seeds. I hate when I open eggplant and the flesh is full of seeds, I often end up throwing it away.
Once the eggplants are cooked in the microwave, you need to let them cool down completely before you can squeeze out all the water.
So you need to microwave them at least a few hours before making the deep fried eggplant balls.
Once the eggplants are cooked in the microwave and the water is squeezed, they reduce in size, so make sure you have enough eggplants.
If you don’t have a microwave, you can boil the eggplants but do not cut or peel them before you boil them, otherwise, they will absorb all the water.
The longer the mix rests in the fridge the more the eggplants absorb the flavour of the garlic, basil and Parmesan. So best to prepare the mix the day before.

How to serve the Deep fried eggplant balls

These deep fried eggplant balls are perfect as a starter for a dinner party or a barbecue. You can do most of the work the day before and just fry them the same day.

They are a perfect option on a buffet table but make sure you have enough because they will go fast. If you want to have a collection of finger food, you could also make deep fried pizza, arancini, pizza campofranco.

If you have any deep fried eggplant balls left over, and that is a big IF, you can eat them the next day. Even served at room temperature, they are delightful.

More of my favourite fried recipe

If you are craving for fried food, you may want to check out these other recipes:

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