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Italian eggplant fritters recipe

This is the Italian eggplant fritters recipe: eggplant meatballs from Calabria, also called “braciole di melanzane“.

Italian eggplant fritters recipe
Italian eggplant fritters

This Italian eggplant fritters recipe is a gift from Calabrian people, who know what they’re talking about when cooking, eating and celebrating.

The crunchy outside is just the beginning. You’ll soon be shattered by the smoothness of the inside: an eggplant cream, with a little texture coming from the few pieces of peel.

Like many Italian eggplant recipes, expect a sweetish, a savory, and a bitter flavor, one after the other, sometimes all together.

I was given the eggplant fritters recipe from a Calabrian mamma, one of those modern Italian women who won’t give up traditions, although they have little to no time for cooking. A sunburned skin, raven hair, and intense eyes little women. Not the nicest, undoubtedly one of the fiercest persons I’ve met. Although the rudeness of her manners and her incapacity to smile, we must thank her for preserving the past. 

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eggplant meatballs

Course eggplant
Cuisine Italian
Servings 10 meatballs
Author Claudia Rinaldi | Gourmet Project

Ingredients

  • 1 big eggplant about 14 oz
  • 1 cup breadcrumbs or stale bread
  • 1 handful of parsley
  • ½ garlic clove
  • 2 pinches salt
  • 1 egg
  • 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon grated parmesan cheese

Instructions

  1. Boil the whole eggplant in water for about 40-50 minutes. Drain it and peel it. Cut into big pieces.

  2. Grind together bread, parsley, garlic and salt.

  3.  Place the eggplant in a bowl, add cheese and egg. Puree with a blender. 

  4. Add the breadcrumbs and mix with a spatula.

  5. Heat the olive oil in a frying pan, medium heat. 

  6. Form round meatballs with your hands and fry them, until golden brown, on both sides. 

  7. Remove them and lay them on a plate lined with kitchen paper, to absorb excess grease.

  8. Serve hot.

Enjoy your eggplant fritters!

Claudia

Hey, eggplant lover!

I have a few recipes I’m sure you’re going to love:

the cheesy and sinful EGGPLANT PARMESAN

PICKLED EGGPLANTS for some DIY time in the kitchen

EGGPLANT CAVIAR from Sicily

the basic STIR FRY EGGPLANTS to upgrade almost any dish coming out of your kitchen

try them, devour them, and tell me about it!