Any gathering will like this appetizer of fried eggplant. Rolling up a delectable mixture of cheese, vegetables, and eggplant into balls, breading them, then deep-frying them till golden brown.
| Prep Time: | 40 mins |
| Cook Time: | 25 mins |
| Additional Time: | 2 hrs |
| Total Time: | 3 hrs 5 mins |
| Servings: | 8 |
Ingredients
- 1 large eggplant, peeled and cubed
- 1 ¾ teaspoons salt, divided
- 1 ½ cups bread crumbs, divided
- ¾ cup chopped green bell pepper
- ¼ cup chopped onion
- ½ ounce shredded Cheddar cheese
- 2 large eggs, divided
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 cups vegetable oil for frying, or as needed
Instructions
- Fill a medium pot with an inch of water, then add eggplant and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cover and bring to a boil over medium heat. Cook until eggplant is tender, about 15 minutes. Drain well.
- Transfer eggplant to a large bowl; stir in 3/4 cup bread crumbs, bell pepper, onion, Cheddar, one egg, remaining 1 1/4 teaspoons salt, paprika, and pepper until well combined. Cover and refrigerate until chilled, at least 2 hours or overnight.
- When ready to cook, set out three shallow bowls. Place flour in one bowl, beat remaining egg in another bowl, and place remaining 3/4 cup bread crumbs in the third bowl.
- Drop heaping teaspoonfuls of eggplant mixture into flour; roll until completely coated. Dip into beaten egg, then lift up so excess egg drips back into the bowl, and roll in bread crumbs to coat.
- Heat oil in a large saucepan to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
- Fry eggplant balls in hot oil until golden brown and heated through, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Drain on paper towels.
- Nutrition data for this recipe includes the full amount of breading ingredients. The actual amount of breading consumed will vary. We have determined the nutritional value of oil for frying based on a retention value of 10% after cooking. The exact amount will vary depending on cooking time and temperature, ingredient density, and specific type of oil used.
Reviews
This was AMAZING!!! I used Italian bread crumbs and added more bread crumbs to the eggplant mixture and it came out beautifully!!!
These were the best meat substitute ever! I didn’t have green pepper, so I caramelized mushrooms and onions instead. Per the suggestion of others, I added an egg to the mix and 1/4 cup extra breadcrumbs. The result? This is “the base recipe” for vege balls, vege patties, vege nuggets, that I have been searching years to find. Kudos!!! Shockingly light and moist, while crunchy on the outside, and a flavor that will work with many dips. Thank you!!!
I added garlic and a little chili powder. Also learned not to make them too big. Came out great !
I used mozzarella cheese instead, and had to use a little more breadcrumbs. Added diced jalapeños to give a little more kick. I also had no flour so I used cornmeal instead. These were delicious. I will definitely make them again
I have made these several times. Recently, I started baking them at 450 degrees for about 20-30 minutes. It is quicker and I would imagine healthier than frying. I will double or triple this recipe as they freeze well.
These were great! I made them as directed and came out delicious. This is something I’ll make again.
1st time, made it as the original recipe and enjoyed them tremendously. This time around, decided to try with a few changes. Grilled the eggplant instead, so no issue with being too wet and having to drain. Sauteed the onions and used parmesan instead as had no cheddar. Also added a tsp of curry powder. Made into bite-size patties and baked them with no coating at 175* C for about 25 minutes turning it over after 15 minutes. Tasty and healthy! PS: I grill the eggplants and freeze them without the skin, so they are readily available when I want to make something and don’t have much time, like this time around!!
GOOD WAY TO USE UP EGGPLANT.
I tried the recipe but the mixture came out too mushy and it was hard to manage into little balls to roll in flour without them coming apart. I’m hoping they freeze well for later. They taste great, though.
Great sounding idea, but this recipe needs work. I read all the reviews that suggested tweaks, but decided to follow the straight recipe except I had to use red bell pepper instead of green. The eggplant was “shloopy” after boiling it for 15 minutes, so after draining in a colander, I dumped it onto paper towels and patted it dry before combining with the other ingredients. I left it in a covered bowl overnight hoping it would firm up in the fridge. It did not. I should have realized that unseasoned flour and unseasoned bread crumbs would not make for a tasty coating, but didn’t until I popped the first piping hot eggplant ball into my mouth. Needs more oomph. It was pleasantly crunchy on the outside and gooey in the center, a “feature” my children immediately rejected. I liked the consistency but couldn’t get past the blandness. If I weren’t doomed to eat a whole batch by myself I might try roasting the eggplant (instead of boiling) and adding more seasoning to the “goop” and to the flour, and breadcrumbs.
Wanted a new way to try eggplant so tried this, really liked it although i used what i had. Red and yellow peppers, and Parmesan cheese. Next time i make, i will sauté onion and peppers because the raw onion flavor was a bit strong. But overall really like made a double batch so have been enjoying leftovers. As long as my husband doesn’t mind my onion breath,
OMGosh!!! I had to try this recipe….I was looking for something different. I am the eggplant lover.My husband will take a taste. I made these and I could not wait for him to try. Well I got an OMGosh from him… “THESE THING”S ARE REALLY GOOD” I give it 10 stars (WE). Left out the green peppers. Not much of a pepper fan. And used Progresso.. panko Italian crispy bread crumbs. AWESOME!!!
I had some leftover eggplant that was very thinly sliced, about the equivalent to a full medium sized eggplant. I used that, and skipped the peppers as well (didn’t have any). Ran out of breadcrumbs to dip, so blended some bread-stuffing and fried onions (the kind that go on green bean casserole) in the processor. We baked these instead of fried – about 20-25 minutes at 375. Excellent!! They taste kind of like the stuffing in stuffed crab…without the crab.
My boyfriend took one bite and said this was the most delicious thing he ever tasted! It’s definitely worth the preparation. I followed the recipes exactly, except used yellow bell instead of green. Fried them in medium hot vegetable oil until they were golden brown. There were layers of flavor unlike anything I’ve ever had before. Delicious!
i made these today. i did not use any paprika cause we did not have any. i had put parsley and garlic powder and season salt ,and black pepper in my bread crumbs. they were a very good hit here both of my roommates went crazy for them. i got about 2 dozen balls and there was only 8 left, that how good they are
I made these tonight and my husband loved them. I also threw some chopped spinach in them and baked them in an oven at 350 degrees sprayed w/ cooking spray cooked 15 min then turned them over and cooked an additional 15 min. til brown. It’s an alternative way to cook healthy,TYVM Marbalet!!!
My husband loved this. I didn’t have enough breadcrumbs so I used panko on the outside delish. I made a second batch and put about a 1/2 tsp of marscapone cheese in the middle then rolled into a ball. Oh delish again thanks for this recipe
I just made these and wow! I made them more like patties than balls. Simmered 2 in tomato sauce and put onto a tortillas with a little cheese and it was better than most of the egglant parm sandwiches I have had out. This is a keeper!
I drained the eggplant very well, based on some reviewers. I did sautee my veggies before I stirred them in. Used red bell pepper (that is what I had) and added 2 cloves of minced garlic. I formed them into croquettes before I chilled them and chilled them for about an hour. They were awesome and everyone loved them. I will do them again soon.
After searching for a different way to serve eggplant to my big family I was happy to find this recipe. This is excellent as written but has turned into a great base recipe depending on what you are serving. I have changed the spices and cheese to make delicious veggie meatballs to compliment my red sauce. I have also made these with feta and Greek seasonings served in a pita pocket with Tzatziki sauce (recipe from this site) I agree that the balls should be kept small for best results. Patties work great too. What a fun flexible recipe!
These things are great .I made them two weeks ago and since then everyone has been asking me to make them again.So i am doubling the amount to make them again for this weekends diner with my family