Greek eggplant fritters (melitzanokeftedes)

Ingredients

• 1 kg round eggplants
• 1 medium tomato with skin & seeds removed and grated
• 1 large onion grated
• 2 cloves garlic grated
• 2 tbsp hard cheese grated
• 4 tbsp flour
• 3 tbsp rusks crumbled
• 2 tbsp parsley
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 300 ml cooking oil

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Preparation

• Wash the eggplants and pierce each one lightly 2-3 times with a knife.
• Bake them in a preheated oven at 250 degrees Celsius on a grill with an oven pan below. Bake for approx. 45 min. or until the skin cracks if you tap it. The skin should be burnt.
• Cut the eggplants in half, remove the flesh and put it in a colander to drain. Sprinkle salt on top of them and add the lemon juice, so that the flesh doesn't blacken. Leave to drain for 1 hour.
• Put the olive oil in a frying pan gently fry the grated onion for approx 3 min and then add the garlic and continue frying for another 2 min. Put the eggplant flesh in a bowl and add the tomato, onion & garlic mixture, grated cheese, rusks, parsley and flour.
• Mix well it should be a thick mixture. If it isn't thick, add some more flour. Heat the cooking oil well in a frying pan. Wet the palms of your hands and start to form balls from the mixture.
• Place them in the hot oil and fry, turning them over, until they are a golden brown colour. Remove and place on absorbent kitchen paper.