Eggplant Fritters with Tomato Sauce
Roast the eggplants whole before you do anything else — this is what makes the fritters work. Baking them for about 30 minutes at 200°C / 400°F (until collapsed and soft) instead of frying means the flesh doesn’t drink up oil; it concentrates instead and picks up a faint smokiness. Once ground, skin removed, the pulp is so smooth you need only a spoonful or two of flour to bind it, just enough to hold shape.
The payoff is that even eggplant skeptics won’t recognize what they’re eating: no skin, none of that rubbery texture, just a tender, almost mushroomy interior that fries up fluffy inside and golden outside.
Fixes and pairings
If the batter runs, let it drain in a colander or work in another spoonful of flour. The fresh tomato sauce — bell pepper, onion, and garlic sautéed together — isn’t optional; its acidity and heat are what wake up the mild eggplant. In winter, swap fresh tomatoes for sautéed tomato paste. Serve hot or cold, with a spoonful of smetana (full-fat sour cream) on the side.
Part of Ukrainian cuisine — 448 more recipes in the section.
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Ingredients
Instructions
Wash the eggplants, cut off the tops, and roast in the oven for about 30 minutes.
Peel off the skin, grind through a meat grinder, and add salt, egg, and flour.
Drop the mixture by the spoonful onto an oiled skillet and fry the fritters.
For the sauce, finely chop the bell pepper, tomatoes, and onion, sauté them, and add grated garlic.
Serve the fritters with the tomato sauce.
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