If you’re not a fan of legumes or don’t digest them well, but want to eat them more often for a good intake of plant proteins, vitamins, and minerals, you absolutely must try my version of eggplant meatballs with lentil flour. They are an almost vegan version if you replace an ingredient in the recipe that makes them vegetarian; otherwise, they are egg-free and free from other animal-derived ingredients. They are the perfect way to integrate legumes more frequently into your daily diet, offering numerous nutritional benefits and contributing to overall health and wellbeing. The fibers contained in them increase the feeling of satiety, stimulate intestinal transit, reduce the incidence of colorectal cancer, and limit the absorption of fats and sugars, lowering blood cholesterol. Making them is really simple; just cut the eggplants into cubes, stew them in a pot until they soften, then mix them with lentil flour and a few other ingredients, form the meatballs, and coat them in breadcrumbs! The resting time in the fridge is advisable, but if time is not on your side, you can directly place them on a baking tray and into the oven! You can serve them on a bed of fresh salad as a vegetable-based main or as finger food within an informal appetizer, perhaps accompanied by some delicious sauce or hummus that I leave below. Try them, they are delicious!
In this collection, I propose some of the many sauces to accompany these, which will enhance and enrich all your dishes:
- Difficulty: Very Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Rest time: 20 Minutes
- Preparation time: 25 Minutes
- Portions: 4 people
- Cooking methods: Stovetop, Electric Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Spring, Summer
Ingredients
⚠ THIS RECIPE CONTAINS ONE OR MORE AFFILIATE LINKS. The products I recommend are the same ones I use in my recipes; purchasing them through my blog helps support me and my work, while costing you nothing extra!
- 3 eggplants
- 1/2 golden onion
- 100 g lentil flour
- 200 ml water (hot)
- 80 g breadcrumbs (preferably homemade)
- 3 tablespoons grated parmesan
- A few sprigs thyme
- to taste dried oregano
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (+ to taste for drizzling)
- to taste salt
- to taste pepper
Tools
- 1 Knife
- 1 Cutting Board
- 1 Pan
- 1 Lid
- 1 Spoon
- 1 Small Pot
- 1 Bowl
- 1 Potato Masher
- 1 Sieve
- 1 Parchment Paper
- 1 Baking Tray
Steps
Wash the eggplants under running water, remove the stem with a knife, then slice them lengthwise into 0.6-inch pieces, then into sticks and finally into cubes.
Finely chop the half onion.
In a large pan, sauté the onion with 3 tablespoons of oil infused with a few sprigs of thyme.
Add the eggplant cubes and let them flavor for 2 minutes over high heat.
Then add the hot water and lower the heat.
Stew over low heat for about 10‘ , covering with a lid and stirring often.
After this time, remove the lid and continue cooking for another 6-8′ or until the water is completely absorbed. Season with salt and pepper, flavor with oregano to taste and turn off.
Let them cool completely.
Transfer the now cold and soft eggplants to a large bowl and mash them with a spoon or a potato masher.
Add the previously sifted lentil flour, 3 tablespoons of grated parmesan and season with salt if needed.
Mix well to combine the ingredients and, with slightly damp hands, take portions slightly larger than a walnut, forming the meatballs.
Coat them one by one in breadcrumbs making it adhere well on all sides.
Place the meatballs on a baking tray lined with parchment paper and put in the fridge to harden for 20′ but preferably 1 hour. After this time, drizzle the surface with a little oil and bake in a preheated oven at 356°F (180°C) for 25′, then turn them and continue cooking for another 4-5′.
Turn off, let them cool slightly, and serve with more thyme.
And voilà… the eggplant meatballs with lentil flour without eggs are ready to be enjoyed!
Bon Appétit from La Cucina di FeFè!
Storage
👉 You can store the eggplant meatballs with lentil flour in the fridge for 3-4 days in a suitable container for refrigeration.
Tips, notes, variations, and suggestions
🟣 The availability of lentil flour is not always easy; I suggested in the ingredient list a brand that is more easily found, or you can do as I do by purchasing a home electric grinder or mill that will allow you to grind your strictly organic lentils in the quantity you desire. Alternatively, you can use chickpea flour, available in all well-stocked supermarkets.
🟣 For a completely vegan version, you can replace grated parmesan with nutritional yeast flakes, which is nothing more than deactivated brewer’s yeast, meaning it cannot rise and ferment and thus is not suitable for making bread or desserts. Its flavor is quite intense, which is why in vegan cuisine, it is often considered similar to cheese, giving dishes a distinct taste.
