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.
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."
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.
These 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
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.
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!
Eggplant Cakes Recipe with Lemon Sauce
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
Elaina
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!
valentina
Thanks, Elaina. I love cooking on the grill -- sounds wonderful! 🙂
Sarah - The Charming Detroiter
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!
valentina
Thanks so much, Sarah. I think I'll be doing a lot more with me . . . stay tuned. 🙂
Kaitie
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
valentina
Thank you! Yes, I love mixing thing up! 🙂
David
I am thinking dinner this Saturday has to include these! Great combination of flavored and textures!
valentina
Thanks, David! I'm sure you'll plan a delicious meal around it. 🙂
David
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…
valentina
David you made my day! Yay! So happy to hear it -- and I LOVE that they were the main course! 🙂 Thank you for sharing.
Sam | Ahead of Thyme
I love this! Your photos are making my mouth water and I JUST ate lunch!!!
valentina
Aww, thanks Sam! 🙂
Cathy | She Paused 4 Thought
Looks like the perfect meal!
valentina
Thank you, Cathy! xo
nicole
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 🙂
valentina
Thank you! Hope you try them! 🙂
Jamie
Wow I love this recipe! The cakes look divinely delicious!!
valentina
Thank you Jamie! Enjoy!
Deb|EastofEdenCooking
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!
valentina
Thanks, Deb! I'm loving eggplants more and more as I experiment with them. So versatile! 🙂
linda
Almond meal? Can I just grind up almonds? Never heard of almond meal.
valentina
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. 🙂
Bobbi @ Bobbi's Kozy Kitchen
WOW do these look good! We love eggplant so I know the whole family will flip for them!!
valentina
Great! Thank you! 😀
Tamara
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!
valentina
Thank you so much, Tamara! So appreciate the kind words. Hope you try it and enjoy! 🙂
Laura | Wandercooks
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!
valentina
Thanks so much, Laura. I love the idea of them on the BBQ! 🙂
Sarah
What a completely intriguing dish! ...one that I MUST try as soon as possible! Thanks so much for sharing this recipe!
valentina
Thank you, Sarah. I hope you try it! 🙂
Jenn
Oh my gosh, these look so good! Those crispy edges!! Love the flavor profile too!
valentina
Thanks, Jenn. I love the crispy edges, too!
Sam | Ahead of Thyme
This sounds amazing! I can't wait to try this maybe tomorrow!! Thanks for the recipe 🙂
valentina
Thank you, Sam! Enjoy! 😀