Site icon Luca's Italy

Polpette di melanzana (eggplant balls)

Luca Marchiori
polpette

Recipe #1 in my new vegitalian series

The word polpetta (plural polpette) is usually translated into English as ‘meatball’. This is a really bad translation because meat is only one of many ingredients Italians use to make polpette. In Rome, for example, there is a restaurant called Polpetta which serves them made from a variety of ingredients, many of them vegetarian. In fact their menu is topped by the hashtag #tuttoèpolpettabile (#youcanmakepolpettefromanything).

This recipe for aubergine (eggplant) polpette is based on a traditional one from Puglia, the far south-eastern peninsula of Italy and one of my favourite regions both for food, climate, and architecture. The traditional recipe features parmigiano reggiano cheese which is not, strictly speaking, vegetarian but which can be substituted with any hard, vegetarian cheese. In Italy you can now buy artisanal parmigiano-style cheese made with non-animal rennet.

Before frying

The trick with these polpette is to fry them as gently as possible. In this way, they will absorb very little oil and will have a moist not greasy consistency. You can serve them on their own, as nibbles, with dips, or heated up in the oven in a tomato sauce, which is the traditional way of serving them.

Buon appetito!

Polpette di melanzana

The first recipe in my new vegitalian series: polpette di melanzane—eggplant balls—a tasty snack, starter, or main from Puglia. Print This
Serves: Makes 24
Rating: 4.5/5
( 2 voted )

Ingredients

  • 3 aubergines / eggplants

  • 30 grams (1 ounce) parmigiano reggiano cheese, grated (or vegetarian equivalent)

  • 20 capers

  • 1 large egg

  • 350 grams (12 ounces) breadcrumbs

  • salt

  • pepper

  • flour

  • oil for frying

Instructions

  1. Peel and cut the aubergines / eggplants into large chunks. 
  2. Put the aubergines / eggplants into a large pan with 4 litres (4 quarts) of water and 4 teaspoons of salt. 
  3. Bring to the boil and simmer the aubergine / eggplant for about 10 minutes.
  4. Drain the aubergine / eggplant and allow to cool completely. 
  5. Squeeze the cold aubergine / eggplant between sheets of kitchen towel to remove any excess water. 
  6. Put the aubergine / eggplant into a food processor with the grated cheese and capers. Blend until smooth and then season with salt and pepper. 
  7. Add the egg and half the breadcrumbs and blend. 
  8. Add the rest of the breadcrumbs, little by little, until the mixture will come together to form balls. The exact amount will depend on the size of your aubergines / eggplants and your egg.  
  9. Rub some flour on your hands, then take a tablespoon of the mixture and roll it into a ball between the palm of your hands. 
  10. Continue until there is no mixture left. These ingredients should make 24 equal sized polpette. 
  11. Put enough oil in a pan to completely cover the polpette. Heat it until it is the correct temperature for deep frying (this will depend on the type of oil used). 
  12. Gently fry the polpette in small batches, until they are lightly golden, about 6 minutes. 
  13. Drain the balls on kitchen towels. 
  14. Serve either with dips, or heated in the oven in a simple tomato sauce. 

Exit mobile version