Eggplant croquettes (fritters) with spicy-sour yogurt sauce

Although you may think that these are heavy (given that are fried in oil), trust me, they only seem so. The moist interior and the bread crumbs create such a texture that absorbs almost no oil at all and makes the final product soft and yummy inside with a crunchy crust on the outside. Try them when you're in the mood for a tasty yet light vegetarian main or a nice snack to nibble on while waiting for a heartier main. They also make for great party appetizers ;)
Recipe adapted from here.


Last year: Fast baby pasta with creamy Parmesan and pea sauce and Simple tomato sauce pasta (pasta con pomodoro). 



Ingredients (serves 2 as main, 4-6 as starters):

• 600 g fresh eggplant
• 50 g grated Parmesan
• 2-3 tablespoons ground crackers or breadcrumbs
• 1 egg
• 2-3 garlic cloves
• a handful of fresh parsley
• olive oil
• salt and pepper

For the sauce:

• 150 ml yogurt
• salt and pepper
• 1 tablespoon ajvar (or harissa or red chili paste)
• juice from half a lemon
• 1 tablespoon cilantro leaves (or basil or thyme)

Cut the eggplant(s) in two (lengthwise) and carve a squared-pattern into them with a sharp knife. Rub with olive oil, salt and pepper and put them on a baking sheet, interior-side up:

Bake for 35 minutes at max temperature:

Scoop out their softened flesh with a spoon and put it in a colander to drain:

Mix the parmesan, beaten egg, breadcrumbs and crushed garlic in a bowl. Add the eggplant:

Mix everything with a fork (the eggplant will get mashed into the process). Add more tablespoons of ground breadcrumbs until you obtain a paste that can be easily molded (we didn't need any extra, but you may happen to, depending on how well you drained the eggplant):

Form little balls out of it and fry them in a little more olive oil:

Turn them gently on all sides until they're crispy, then proceed to do the same with the remaining composition. For the sauce, mix everything together in a dipping bowl:

Serve warm or cold, with the sauce. Dig in ! :)