You can make perfect vegan eggplant meatballs using only eggplant and no other veggies or legumes. Since roasted eggplant has this amazing texture and fairly neutral flavor, proper seasoning can turn it into delicious meatballs without much effort. Serve with a chunky vegan marinara sauce over spaghetti.
Wash the eggplants, then cut them in half vertically. You can cut off the stem, but not necessary. Take the eggplant halves to an oven-safe glass container or a baking mat and turn them upside down (peel is up). No oil is needed.
Preheat the oven to 400 Fahrenheit (ca. 204 °C) and roast the eggplants for 30 minutes. Take them out and let them cool until it is comfortable to touch them with your bare hands.
Making vegan eggplant meatballs
First, peel or spoon the eggplant “meat” and blend it until you get a purée using a food processor or an immersion blender.
Mix flax meal and water and wait until they get a gelee consistency.
Take a large dish and add pureed eggplant, oats, rice flour, nutritional yeast (optional), marjoram, garlic powder, flax egg, salt, and black pepper. Mix them thoroughly with a wooden spoon. You don’t need to add the mixture back to a food processor or blender.
Leave in the fridge for 15 minutes for the oats and the flour to absorb any excess moisture.
Take a tablespoon of the mixture and form balls with your hands. It will be soft and may stick to your hands. If it is too sticky, add more oats.
Frying or baking
Take a frying pan and heat it on medium heat. Add a bit of coconut or olive oil if you don't have a non-stick pan. Fry them on each side for a couple of minutes to give them a nice brown color.
If you prefer baking, take a baking mat or a sheet pan with parchment paper and bake them at 350 Fahrenheit (ca. 177 °C) for 15-20 minutes until they get a crispy brownish crust. Turn them in at half-time.
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Notes
Roasting in advance - you can roast the eggplants in advance and store them in the fridge for 1-2 days without a problem. You only need to pay attention to that they might release liquid, so you need more oats or flour to get to the right consistency.
Size matters - Baking and frying time depend on the size of the meatballs you make. The smaller they are, the cooking time will be shorter.
Turn them gently - These vegan eggplant meatballs are soft when hot but will firm up after cooling.