Region: Unknown

If you never have tried to combine eggplants and mint, you have missed a whole lot! The two match so well together, they get along like ice-cream and apple pie. When eggplant season is around the corner, make sure to get your hands on some so you can try these tasty meat-less meat balls. You can serve them as a tasty appetizer, an intriguing side dish or you can even serve them with sauce and spaghetti like traditional meatballs. Best of all, you can decide to fry them in a pan or bake them for a healthier version with less fats. Here’s the recipe for you.

Ingredients:

1 large eggplant
1 egg
3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
2-3 tablespoons breadcrumbs (may need more)
5-6 mint leaves
Salt
Pepper
Olive oil for frying (optional)

Directions:

Preheat the oven at 375 degrees. Cut the eggplant in half and place it on the oven rack on top of some parchment paper. Cook for about 45 minutes until their interior appears soft. Allow to cool down and with a spoon start carving out the inside. Using a hand blender, reduce the eggplant into a mush. In a bowl, place the eggplants and add the Parmesan cheese, the breadcrumbs, the mint leaves shredded in pieces, salt and pepper. Mix and add breadcrumbs as needed to make meatballs out of the mixture. Form several small meatballs and fry in the olive oil until golden. If you choose to bake, you an roll the meatballs in some extra breadcrumbs and place them at 375 degrees for about 20 to 30 minutes. Turn then halfway through the cooking time to make sure both sides are evenly cooked. To serve with pasta, fry them or bake then and then add them to the sauce and serve. Enjoy!