Eggplant Balls (Polpette di Melanzane) - Lunch with Gianni | Gianni North Beach

Eggplant Balls (polpette di melanzane) are crispy little orbs with a soft sweet eggplant interior flavored with pecorino & garlic. They're sometimes called eggplant meatballs, but I find that name confusing b/c there's no meat so I call 'em eggplant balls in English.

These satisfyingly crunchy treats are perfect as part of an antipasti platter. You can also pair them with roasted or grilled meat or fish for a full meal. You can even add them to marinara for a pasta sauce and make something akin to spaghetti and meatballs. But you don't have to bother with any of that because they're also really good just on their own.

In fact, I often leave leftovers on the counter so I can grab one as I walk by. Which is often since I invent excuses so I can get just one more of these savory little delights.

Give these a try and let me know what you think!

➡️ Recipe: https://gianni.tv/eggplant-balls/

00:00 Intro
00:36 Ingredients
02:13 Initial Prep
05:11 Boiling the eggplant
06:25 Making the mixture
20:27 Forming the balls
26:15 Frying the balls
32:53 Plating & tasting