Greek Eggplant Fritters (Melitzanokeftedes)

This is a delicious meze! You can have it as an accompaniment to a meal, as a meze - which tastes wonderful with Tzatziki - or as part of a buffet.

Ingredients

1 kg round eggplants

1 medium tomato with skin & seeds removed and grated

1 large onion grated

2 cloves garlic grated

2 tbsp hard cheese grated

4 tbsp flour

3 tbsp rusks crumbled

2 tbsp parsley

1 tbsp lemon juice

1 tbsp olive oil

300 ml cooking oil

Preparation

Wash the eggplants and pierce each one lightly 2-3 times with a knife (so they don’t explode!).

Bake them in a preheated oven at 250 degrees Celsius on a grill with an oven pan below (to catch any dripping juices). Bake for approx. 45 min. or until the skin cracks if you tap it. The skin should be burnt.

Cut the eggplants in half, remove the flesh and put it in a colander to drain.

Sprinkle salt on top of them and add the lemon juice, so that the flesh doesn’t blacken.

Leave to drain for 1 hour.

Put the olive oil in a frying pan gently fry the grated onion for approx. 3 min. and then add the garlic and continue frying for another 2 min.

Put the eggplant flesh in a bowl and add the tomato, onion & garlic mixture, grated cheese, rusks, parsley and flour.

Mix well – it should be a thick mixture. If it isn’t thick, add some more flour.

Heat the cooking oil well in a frying pan.

Wet the palms of your hands and start to form balls from the mixture (see size in phot).

Place them in the hot oil and fry, turning them over, until they are a golden brown colour.

Remove and place on absorbent kitchen paper.

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Authentic Greek Recipes