These Italian Eggplant Meatballs, known in Calabria as purpetti i mulingiana, are made with eggplant, bread, Pecorino, egg, garlic, and parsley. They're coated in breadcrumbs and fried until golden outside and soft in the center.
Wash the eggplant, remove the stems, and cut each one lengthwise into four pieces, leaving the skin on.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add the eggplant. Cook for about 10 minutes, until the flesh feels tender when pierced with a fork but isn't falling apart.
Drain thoroughly and leave to cool in a colander until you can comfortably handle it.
Once cool enough to handle, squeeze the eggplant very thoroughly with your hands to remove as much excess water as possible.
Transfer to a cutting board and chop coarsely with a knife. Don't turn it into a puree.
Place the eggplant in a bowl and add the egg, grated Pecorino, finely chopped garlic and parsley, salt, and black pepper.
Add the stale bread crumb a little at a time, mixing with your hands. The mixture should remain soft but firm enough to shape. If you've squeezed the eggplant thoroughly, avoid adding extra bread just to make the mixture drier.
Take about 20 g of mixture at a time and gently compact it between your hands. Shape it into a round meatball, then flatten it slightly to approximately 5 cm in diameter and 1 cm thick.
Continue with the remaining mixture. You should get approximately 30 meatballs.
Pour the breadcrumbs onto a plate and coat each meatball on both sides, making sure the breadcrumbs also adhere around the edges.
Place them on a plate as you go, without overlapping them.
Heat plenty of extra virgin olive oil in a deep-sided pan. Once the oil is hot, fry a few meatballs at a time, leaving enough space between them.
Fry until golden and crisp on both sides, turning them during cooking. Drain well and transfer to paper towels to remove excess oil.
Serve hot or leave them to cool slightly. They're also excellent cold, even the next day.
Servings 6
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily value may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
The consistency of the mixture depends mainly on how thoroughly you squeeze the eggplants. After cooking, let them cool slightly, then squeeze them well to remove as much excess water as possible. Add the bread crumb a little at a time: the mixture should be firm enough to hold its shape while remaining soft.
For frying, use plenty of oil and cook only a few meatballs at a time to keep the oil temperature as stable as possible. If you do not have a thermometer, dip the handle of a wooden spoon into the oil: when small, steady bubbles form around it, the oil is ready for frying.
Alternatively, you can bake the eggplant meatballs. Arrange them on a baking tray lined with baking paper, brush or drizzle them lightly with oil, and bake in a preheated oven at 200°C (390°F) for about 20–25 minutes, turning them halfway through. They will be less crisp than the fried version but will remain soft inside.
The eggplant meatballs can be stored in the refrigerator for 1–2 days in a sealed container. Let them come back to room temperature or reheat them briefly before serving.
This is the kind of home recipe that makes good use of what's already in the kitchen. Eggplant belongs to summer, stale bread finds its way into the mixture, and Pecorino brings plenty of flavor without overpowering everything else.
Purpetti i mulingiana weren't created as a vegetarian substitute for meatballs. They're a dish in their own right, passed down through generations of Calabrian families. As often happens with home cooking, proportions and small details can change from one household to another, but eggplant always remains at the heart of the recipe.
Eggplant Meatballs, known locally as purpetti i mulingiana, are included among Calabria's PAT (Traditional Agri-Food Products).
The regional documentation describes a straightforward preparation in which eggplant is combined with bread, egg, Pecorino, parsley, and garlic. Once shaped, the meatballs are coated in breadcrumbs, which develop their golden crust during frying.
Their shape and season are also part of the traditional description. The meatballs are round and slightly flattened, measuring approximately 5 cm in diameter and 1 cm thick, and the documented preparation period runs from June to September, when eggplant is in season.
Once you've blanched the eggplant, squeeze it really well. If too much water remains, you'll end up adding more bread just to make the meatballs hold their shape. The more bread you add, the more you lose the soft texture and eggplant flavor we're looking for.
When the mixture holds together in your hands without feeling dry, you're there. Shape the meatballs and flatten them slightly. They'll cook quickly and develop an even golden crust across the surface.
When frying, give the meatballs enough room in the oil. Cook only a few at a time so the temperature stays more stable and the breadcrumb coating becomes crisp without requiring a longer cooking time.