Crispy on the outside and soft on the inside these aubergine croquettes are packed with flavour! Serve them with your favourite sauce and a squeeze of fresh lemon!

What are croquettes?

Croquettes are little fried breaded morsels. They can come in several shapes and even the size might differ. They can be made out of different fillings that are bind together with mashed potatoes, béchamel, flour or bread. Then they are breaded and fried. They are popular throughout several cuisines as they were considered to be poor man’s food, as with only few ingredients you can make something so delicious and filling! These aubergine croquettes are an ode to the Italian crocchette di melanzane with a Greek touch. You can also give them a Maltese touch by using ġbejniet instead of feta cheese.

Ingredients for Aubergine Croquettes

Aubergines – the main ingredient for these croquettes are the aubergines. Apart from being the main flavour of these croquettes, the aubergines will help with the binding of these little delicious morsels.

Eggs – they will keep the croquettes together.

Garlic – a little bit to enhance the aromas of these aubergine croquettes.

Bread crumbs – to combine everything together I have used normal breadcrumbs, although panko will work just as perfectly and they might add a bit of extra crunch. You can also substitute the breadcrumbs in the mixture with day old bread which has been soaked in milk or water to soften it again.

Feta cheese – I crumble my cheese into the croquettes’ batter so to have cheese all throughout my croquette. However, you can also just put some feta cheese in the middle while shaping the croquettes.

Sun dried tomatoes – they have a strong unique flavour and slightly acidic which brings out the overall taste of these croquettes. Also, these add that additional Mediterranean touch together with the aubergines and feta!

How to make Aubergine Croquettes

Making these aubergine croquettes is quite easy and you get so many! I start by roasting my aubergines in the oven. Cut the aubergines in half lengthwise and score the inside by creating a crosshatch pattern. Salt and oil the flesh. Bake for 40 minutes. Once ready, let them cool so that it will be easier for you to work with them. Scoop out the flesh and transfer it to a mixer. I like to blend it for a few seconds so that I break the aubergine flesh into a thick pulp. Then, I mix the pulp with the other prepared ingredients and combine together until I get a batter like consistency.

Shaping the croquettes is relatively easy! Take a small amount in your hands and shape it in an oblong or a ball. If you want you can also scoop the batter with an ice cream scoop! Once shaped, I drop them in a plate with breadcrumbs and make sure that they are completely covered. Place them on a plate and let them rest in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. In a saucepan, fry them in oil heated to 170°C/ 340°F. Once the oil has reached the desired temperature, take each croquette, lower it in the oil and cook for about 4 minutes each. I try not to overcrowd mine in the saucepan and not to place more than 4/5 at a time.

FAQs

Tips for making these Aubergine Croquettes

Let them rest when shaped for about 30 minutes before frying.
Make sure that the batter is slightly on the sticky side and roll them in the breadcrumbs directly. If the batter is on the dried side and the breadcrumbs aren’t sticking, do a normal breading with flour, eggs and breadcrumbs.
You can bake them in the oven or in the air fryer instead! Bake them at 200°C in the oven, or at 190°C in the air fryer for about 15 minutes.
Once fried, sprinkle them with flakey salt!

How to store leftovers croquettes

I store any cooked leftover in an airtight container for not more than 3 days. You can also store them in the freezer before frying them!

Ingredients

2 large aubergines
2 eggs
1 garlic clove
150 g bread crumbs + extra for coating
100 g feta or ġbejna cheese crumbled
1 tbsp basil
1/2 tbsp oregano
75 g sun dried tomatoes chopped
olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Start by roasting the aubergines. Preheat the oven to 180°C or 350°F. Cut the aubergines in half lengthwise and score the inside by creating a crosshatch pattern. Salt and oil the flesh. Bake for 40 minutes.
Once done, let them cool for a few minutes and scoop the flesh of the aubergines. Set aside to let it cool further.
While the aubergines are cooling, prepare the other ingredients in a large bowl.
Blend in the aubergines for a few seconds until you get a pulp like texture, but not too wet as there still needs to be some chunks.
Mix the aubergines pulp with the other ingredients until you get a dough like consistency. Add more breadcrumbs if the mixture is still a bit runny.
Shape the croquettes to your liking. You should get about 15 croquettes if you shape them like me in oblongs. Roll the croquettes into the breadcrumbs until completely covered. Transfer to a plate and store in the fridge for about 30 minutes, or until you are ready to fry.
In a saucepan, heat up the oil to 170°C/ 340°F. Once the oil has reached the desired temperature, take each croquette and lower it in the oil.
Cook for about 4/5 minutes, until they start to have a light golden colour. Do this in small batches, and repeat until all the croquettes are cooked.
Place them on a paper towel lined plate to remove the excess oil. Sprinkle some flakey salt on top and serve warm with your favourite dip!

If you have any questions, feedback or comments on this recipe, please leave a comment below. Please also rate this recipe by double clicking on the stars below. If you did make this recipe, tag @apronandwhisk and hashtag #apronandwhisk, as I’m curious to see what you create!

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