Ingredients (2 servings):
for the eggplant dumplings:
- 1 big oder 2 small eggplants (500 g), cut into 2.5 cm cubes
- 4 tbsp olive oil, plus a little more for shaping
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 30 g bread crumbles
- 50 g cream cheese
- 25 g parmesan cheese, grated
- 1 egg
- 1/2 tbsp flour
- 1 1/2 clove of garlic, finely chopped
- 5 g basil leaves, roughly chopped
- 5 g parsley, finely chopped
- pepper
for the sauce:
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 can tomatoes, contents mashed until smooth
- 1/2 glove of garlic, finely chopped
- 2 tsp tomato paste
- 1 1/2 tsp sugar
- 1/4 tsp chili flakes
- 1 tsp paprika powder
- 1/2 tsp tarragon
- 2 tsp oregano, finely chopped
- 1/4 tsp salt
- pepper
- 400 ml water
- 40 g pitted olives Oliven (black or green), roughly chopped
for garnishing:
- 3 g basil leaves, roughly chopped
- 10 g pitted olives (black or green), roughly chopped
- 1 handful parmesan cheese, grated
- salt, pepper
- Preheat the oven to 220 ˚C.
- Place the eggplants on a baking sheet lined with baking paper, toss with olive oil, salt and a good pinch of pepper. Roast for 30 minutes until golden brown, turning halfway through.
- Meanwhile, heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a pan over medium to high heat. Fry the garlic in it for 1 minute until fragrant.
- Add canned tomatoes, tomato paste, sugar, chili flakes, paprika powder, tarragon, oregano, salt and a good pinch of pepper.
- Let everything boil down for 8 minutes until the sauce has thickened a bit, stirring occasionally.
- Add water, bring the sauce back to boiling, and simmer 10 minutes over medium hat until lightly simmering.
- Chop the eggplant into a chunky puree, place in a bowl and refrigerate for about 20 minutes.
- Then add breadcrumbs, cream cheese, parmesan cheese, egg, flour, garlic, basil and parsley, salt and a good pinch of pepper to the eggplant puree. Mix everything well and then, with oiled hands, form 6-8 golf ball-sized balls (`a 45g) from the mixture and press them well together.
- In a large coated frying pan, heat 2 tbsp olive oil over medium heat. Fry the dumplings in it for 3-4 minutes, until golden brown all over.
- Pour the sauce into an ovenproof dish. Carefully stir the olives into the sauce. Put the eggplant balls in and bake for 20 minutes until the sauce bubbles. For the last 3 minutes, sprinkle the parmesan cheese over the balls and finish baking.
- Remove from the oven, sprinkle with the olives and remaining basil and serve.
It goes well with rice, quick naan bread toasted bread or even fresh salad.
When it has to go fast: you can prepare the sauce in advance, it will keep in the refrigerator up to 3 days, in the freezer even 1 month. The mixture for the eggplant dumplings can be prepared a few hours in advance and then refrigerated. Then you just have to form the dumplings and fry them.
