📋Italian Eggplant Meatballs Polpette di Melanzane

Deep fried eggplant balls is a classic recipe from the South of Italy, even the fussiest children will devour those delightful vegetable bites.

Course Appetizer

Cuisine Italian

Keyword eggplant balls, eggplant bites, eggplant fried

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 1

Resting time 3

Total Time 1 20

Servings balls

Calories 143kcal

Peel and cut the eggplants into small cubes
6 medium eggplants
Cover 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
3 cups breadcrumbs, 2 fresh eggs, ½ cup chopped basil leaves, 1 peeled garlic cloves, ½ cup freshly grated Pecorino, 2 teaspoon salt

Shape them into oval balls that fit into the palm of your hand
Wet the palm of your hand with warm water to make a nice smooth ball
Deep fry the eggplant balls in a single layer in vegetable oil heated to a high temperature, 355 degrees Fahrenheit or 180 Celsius.
Once cooked place on an absorbent kitchen paper to drain the excess oil
You can eat them warm or at room temperature

Important Notes:

When I buy eggplants, I always choose the thinnest as they usually have fewer seeds. I hate it when I open an 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.
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. Otherwise bake them cut in half and covered with aluminium foil for 1 hour at 150C -300F
So you need to let them rest at least a few hours before making the deep fried eggplant balls.
You can do most of the work the day before and just fry them the same day.
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.
If you have any deep fried eggplant balls leftover, and that is a big IF, you can eat them the next day. Even served at room temperature, they are delightful.