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    Home » Appetizers & Hors d'Oeuvres » Eggplant Cakes with Lemon Sauce

    Eggplant Cakes with Lemon Sauce

    Mar 6, 2016 · by Valentina · 34 Comments

    This post may contain affiliate links.

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    Eggplant Cakes with Lemon Sauce are crispy on the outside and soft in the center. These super flavorful eggplant hors d'oeuvres are a big crowd pleaser.Eggplan Cakes with Lemon Sauce on a white platter with cucumber slices

    I had the pleasure of attending a delightful presentation by Faye Levy at Melissa's Produce.

    Faye, an authority on Middle Eastern and Jewish cuisine, is the author of 23 popular cookbooks and has written for dozens of major food publications around the globe. You can learn more about Faye's impressive accomplishments here. 

    Faye generously shared her wealth of culinary knowledge with me and a room full of other food writers.

    She spent a good amount of time during the presentation, focusing on the eggplant, which she said is the King of Vegetables in the Middle East.

    She said there's even an old saying that, "if you don't know how to cook eggplant at least 101 ways, you're not fit to marry."  

    one large roasted eggplant on foil

    I left the presentation full of new and interesting bits of culinary information, but was especially inspired to experiment with eggplants.

    It's the King, after all.

    roasted eggplant on foil with skin peeling offThese eggplant cakes are perfect with my light, tangy lemon sauce and a thin slice of cucumber.

    The Lemon Sauce

    • plain yogurt
    • cilantro
    • lemon
    • salt, pepper

    roasted eggplant skin on foil

    Can you make this recipe ahead?

    Yes!

    • You can roast the eggplant up to three days ahead, and this will save about 45 minutes off the prep time.
    • You can make the cake about 4 hours ahead of time. Leave them out at room temperature, lightly covered with foil. Then warm them in the oven just before serving them.
    • Do not add the sauce and cucumber until you're ready to serve.

    tall stack of eggplant cakes on parchment

    These little, crispy eggplant hors d'oeuvres are an absolutely divine bite of flavor that will make you a hit at your next dinner party!

    Enjoy!

    Several tiny eggplant cakes on white plate with cucumber slices on top of each one

    Eggplant Cakes Recipe with Lemon Sauce

    Valentina K. Wein
    Eggplant Cakes with Lemon Sauce are crispy on the outside and soft in the center. These super flavorful hors d'oeuvres are a big crowd pleaser.
    4.80 from 5 votes
    Print
    Prep Time 1 hr 45 mins
    Total Time 1 hr 45 mins
    Course Appetizers and Hors d'Oeuvres
    Cuisine Mediterranean
    Servings 12
    Calories 173 kcal

    Ingredients
     
     

    For the cilantro-lemon yogurt

    • ¼ cup plain Greek-style yogurt
    • 2 tablespoons cilantro, washed and dried, finely chopped
    • 1½ teaspoons fresh lemon juice
    • salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

    For the eggplant cakes

    • 2 approximately (1-pound) eggplants
    • 3 cups breadcrumbs, divided (you can use any type -- I used gluten-free)
    • ¾ cup almond meal
    • 1 l egg white
    • 1 tablespoon garlic, minced
    • 2 teaspoons ground cumin
    • 1 teaspoon salt
    • ¼ to ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper see notes
    • a few turns freshly ground black pepper
    • 5 scallions, washed and dried, thinly sliced, divided
    • olive oil for the pan
    • 1 Persian cucumber washed and dried, very thinly sliced

    Instructions
     

    For the cilantro-lemon yogurt

    • In a small mixing bowl, mix the yogurt with the cilantro and lemon juice. Season to taste with salt and pepper. (Here's How to Season to Taste.) Set aside.

    For the eggplant cakes

    • Set oven and prep eggplant. Preheat the oven to 400°F and adjust a rack to the center. Pierce the eggplants with a fork and place them on a baking sheet.
    • Roast and cool eggplant. Place them in the 400°F preheated oven and roast for 15 minutes. Then turn them over, and continue to roast them for another 15 minutes.
      Let them cool on the baking sheet and then either cut them in half, or gently pull the skin off.
    • Make batter. Use a spoon to scrape the "meat" off the skin, and scoop it into a food processor, fitted with the blade attachment.
      Add ½ cup of the bread crumbs, almond meal, egg white, garlic, cumin, salt, cayenne and pepper. Blend until the mixture is smooth, and then pour it into a medium-sized mixing bowl. Fold in the slices from about 4 of the scallions and set aside. (The remaining scallion slices will be for garnish.)
    • Assemble. Add the remaining 2½ cups of breadcrumbs to a large plate of platter and gently shake to spread them out evenly. (You will likely have more than you need, but that's necessary to get all of the cakes coated.)
    • Preheat pan and coat cakes. Coat the bottom of a large sauté pan with olive oil and place it over high heat. Cover a baking sheet with a double layer of paper towels and set aside.
      Use a tablespoon measure or a 1-inch cookie scoop, to shape the eggplant mixture. (If you use the tablespoon, only fill it about half way.) As you scoop, drop the mixture onto the bread crumbs, with at least a couple of inches between them. Then use your fingers, or a butter knife, to very gently roll them over, to coat both sides with the crumbs. They will be quite fragile, but if handled carefully, they'll easily hold together.
    • Sauté. Once the oil-coated pan is very hot, add the eggplant cakes. You should hear a sizzle when they hit the pan. Turn the heat to medium, and very carefully, flip them over when the bottoms are golden -- about 3 minutes per side. Use a small metal, flat-bottomed spatula to remove them from the pan and place them on the paper towel-lined baking sheet to drain. Repeat this process until all of the cakes are cooked.
    • Assemble and serve. When you're ready to serve, place the cakes on a large plate or serving platter, and add a slice of cucumber directly on top of each one. Use a teaspoon to add a tiny dollop of the cilantro-lemon yogurt to each cucumber slice, and add one of the remaining scallion slices on top.

    Notes

    The amount of cayenne pepper you add depends on the amount of heat you like. ¼ teaspoon gives it a slight kick, and ½ teaspoon gives it a strong one.
    I like the eggplant cakes served warm or at room temperature, with the yogurt and cucumber a bit chilled.
    Calorie count is only an estimate.
    Keywords bite-sized hors d'oeuvres, appetizers for parties
    Have you tried this recipe?I'd love to see it on Instagram! Tag me at @cookingontheweekends or leave a comment & rating below.

    Save

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Elaina

      March 07, 2016 at 10:25 am

      These look so yummy! I need to eat eggplant more often. The last two times I fixed it were on the charcoal grill and in eggplant parmesan. It's so versatile!

      Reply
      • valentina

        March 07, 2016 at 10:26 am

        Thanks, Elaina. I love cooking on the grill -- sounds wonderful! 🙂

        Reply
    2. Sarah - The Charming Detroiter

      March 07, 2016 at 10:34 am

      I totally agree - I think eggplants are a very versatile yet underused vegetable. Thanks for this post - you've inspired me to try to cook more with them!

      Reply
      • valentina

        March 07, 2016 at 10:37 am

        Thanks so much, Sarah. I think I'll be doing a lot more with me . . . stay tuned. 🙂

        Reply
    3. Kaitie

      March 07, 2016 at 10:52 am

      What a wonderful side dish or appetizer! I love the ingredients in this, it's always nice to mix things up little every now and then

      Reply
      • valentina

        March 07, 2016 at 4:35 pm

        Thank you! Yes, I love mixing thing up! 🙂

        Reply
    4. David

      March 07, 2016 at 12:20 pm

      I am thinking dinner this Saturday has to include these! Great combination of flavored and textures!

      Reply
      • valentina

        March 07, 2016 at 2:18 pm

        Thanks, David! I'm sure you'll plan a delicious meal around it. 🙂

        Reply
        • David

          March 13, 2016 at 6:52 am

          Haha, Valentina! I didn't plan a meal around this… I made these AS the meal! They were fantastic. Definitely something I will make over and over again…

          Reply
          • valentina

            March 15, 2016 at 8:18 pm

            David you made my day! Yay! So happy to hear it -- and I LOVE that they were the main course! 🙂 Thank you for sharing.

            Reply
    5. Sam | Ahead of Thyme

      March 07, 2016 at 1:41 pm

      I love this! Your photos are making my mouth water and I JUST ate lunch!!!

      Reply
      • valentina

        March 07, 2016 at 4:35 pm

        Aww, thanks Sam! 🙂

        Reply
    6. Cathy | She Paused 4 Thought

      March 07, 2016 at 3:31 pm

      Looks like the perfect meal!

      Reply
      • valentina

        March 07, 2016 at 4:35 pm

        Thank you, Cathy! xo

        Reply
    7. nicole

      March 07, 2016 at 6:52 pm

      How gorgeous are these? They look like they have the perfect amount of crispiness and creaminess...and they must pair so well with the yogurt! Thanks for sharing 🙂

      Reply
      • valentina

        March 07, 2016 at 8:15 pm

        Thank you! Hope you try them! 🙂

        Reply
    8. Jamie

      March 07, 2016 at 11:47 pm

      Wow I love this recipe! The cakes look divinely delicious!!

      Reply
      • valentina

        March 08, 2016 at 7:40 am

        Thank you Jamie! Enjoy!

        Reply
    9. Deb|EastofEdenCooking

      March 08, 2016 at 7:36 am

      We are an eggplant loving family so no convincing is needed! This is a smashing good recipe, great flavors, creamy and crunchy too. A wonderful post!

      Reply
      • valentina

        March 08, 2016 at 7:41 am

        Thanks, Deb! I'm loving eggplants more and more as I experiment with them. So versatile! 🙂

        Reply
    10. linda

      March 08, 2016 at 9:52 am

      Almond meal? Can I just grind up almonds? Never heard of almond meal.

      Reply
      • valentina

        March 08, 2016 at 12:35 pm

        Yes, you can put almonds in a food processor and grind them into a fine powder. Just be careful to turn it off as soon as it's fine -- if you grind too long, it'll turn into a paste.You can buy almond meal at Trader Joe's in the nut/dried fruit section, or here. It's sometimes called almond flour. 🙂

        Reply
    11. Bobbi @ Bobbi's Kozy Kitchen

      March 08, 2016 at 11:29 am

      WOW do these look good! We love eggplant so I know the whole family will flip for them!!

      Reply
      • valentina

        March 08, 2016 at 12:36 pm

        Great! Thank you! 😀

        Reply
    12. Tamara

      March 08, 2016 at 11:31 am

      What a wonderful presentation you got to attend! I had heard the eggplant referred to as "king," and it always makes me chuckle. This is a beautiful dish, and sounds so intriguing. I will pin it, with the good intention of fixing it at some point. BTW, gorgeous photos!

      Reply
      • valentina

        March 08, 2016 at 12:37 pm

        Thank you so much, Tamara! So appreciate the kind words. Hope you try it and enjoy! 🙂

        Reply
    13. Laura | Wandercooks

      March 08, 2016 at 4:17 pm

      Eggplants are so delicious and very popular in so many places! We found them throughout our wanderings in Europe and Asia, dressed up in lots of different ways from grilled on the BBQ to crispy batter deep fried. Love them every way, but this recipe sounds extra delicious with the crunchy breadcrumbs and lemon-cilantro-yogurt topping. Yum!

      Reply
      • valentina

        March 08, 2016 at 4:50 pm

        Thanks so much, Laura. I love the idea of them on the BBQ! 🙂

        Reply
    14. Sarah

      March 08, 2016 at 5:36 pm

      What a completely intriguing dish! ...one that I MUST try as soon as possible! Thanks so much for sharing this recipe!

      Reply
      • valentina

        March 08, 2016 at 10:23 pm

        Thank you, Sarah. I hope you try it! 🙂

        Reply
    15. Jenn

      March 08, 2016 at 7:12 pm

      Oh my gosh, these look so good! Those crispy edges!! Love the flavor profile too!

      Reply
      • valentina

        March 08, 2016 at 10:23 pm

        Thanks, Jenn. I love the crispy edges, too!

        Reply
    16. Sam | Ahead of Thyme

      March 08, 2016 at 9:17 pm

      This sounds amazing! I can't wait to try this maybe tomorrow!! Thanks for the recipe 🙂

      Reply
    17. valentina

      March 08, 2016 at 10:24 pm

      Thank you, Sam! Enjoy! 😀

      Reply

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