Indian Eggplant Balls

Preheat oven to 450º Fahrenheit. Pierce eggplant with fork in several places and place on lined baking sheet. Bake for 30-40 minutes until skin has darkened and fruit has begun to collapse.

While eggplant cooks, slice tomato into 1/4 inch slices and salt. Place in colander over bowl or on paper towels and allow to drain. Discard the liquid.

Once eggplant has finished baking and as it is cooling, pat tomato slices dry and dice. Pat dry again if necessary to keep fairly dry.

In a medium sized bowl, combine tomatoes with garlic, peppers, lime juice, cilantro, turmeric, cumin and garam masala.

Purée eggplant then add to tomato mixture, along with egg and 1 cup bread crumbs. Mix thoroughly. Salt and pepper to taste. Let sit 5-10 minutes to allow bread crumbs to soak up any moisture.

Shape mixture into 1 1/2-inch balls. Roll balls in remaining breadcrumbs and place on parchment covered baking sheet.

Bake at 450º Fahrenheit for 30-40 minutes or until lightly browned. Serve warm, alone or with your favorite chutney.

NB: I use Panko breadcrumbs which gives a crunchy exterior and contrasts nicely with the tenderness of the croquette.