Eggplant Rolls with Feta and Garlic
Ingredients
10–12 rolls
For the rolls
- Eggplants 2
- Vegetable oil 3–4 tbsp
For the filling
- Brynza or feta 150 g
- Cilantro ½ bunch
- Hot chili pepper 1
- Garlic 1–2 cloves
- Salt, sweet dried paprika, aromatic herbs to taste
For serving
- Pomegranate seeds 1–2 tbsp (10–20 g)
- Pomegranate juice 1 tbsp, optional
Step-by-step recipe
Frying the eggplant
To get small, bite-size rolls, buy cylindrical, medium-sized eggplants with dark skin.
Ideally the eggplant shouldn’t have started forming seeds yet: they’re hard and just get in the way of enjoying the appetizer. The eggplants shouldn’t be limp, or they’ll fall apart while frying.
Prepare the eggplant. To keep the eggplant from soaking up too much oil, don’t pour oil into the pan. Instead, brush the bottom of the pan with vegetable oil using a silicone brush; you’ll use very little. Trim the ends of the eggplant and slice it lengthwise into thin slabs. Each eggplant gives 5–6 slices.
Lay the slices in the hot oiled pan and immediately brush the tops with oil as well. That’s really all the oil you need. Fry the eggplant until golden, then transfer to a plate and let cool completely.
Making the cheese filling
Get the freshest soft cheese you can, feta or brynza, preferably not too salty. Wash the cilantro and remove the tough stems. If the herbs are limp, soak them in cold water beforehand. Peel the garlic: it’s optional, but the rolls should have a light garlic flavor; that’s when they’re at their best. I also recommend adding a fresh hot chili pepper.
Mix the filling. Put the cheese in a bowl and mash it with a fork. Finely chop the cilantro with a knife. Chop the garlic too rather than grating it, so there’s less garlic juice. Remove the seeds and white inner membranes from the hot pepper, since they carry most of the heat. Finely chop the pepper with a knife. Add the cilantro, garlic and hot pepper to the cheese. For a more aromatic appetizer, I suggest adding sweet dried paprika and aromatic Mediterranean herbs. Salt the filling to taste if the cheese is mild. Mix the cheese filling thoroughly until smooth.
Rolling
Carefully lay the fried eggplant, cooled to room temperature, on a cutting board or a flat plate. Put a tablespoon of the cheese (7 g) filling on a slice. Use a knife to gently spread the filling over the eggplant, leaving the last 3–4 cm uncovered.
Don’t rush or press hard: eggplant with cheese is a delicate dish and tears easily. If the filling is too thick, you can add 1–2 tsp of vegetable oil or sour milk.
Carefully roll up the eggplant around the cheese so that the uncovered edge ends up at the very end, on top of the roll. Transfer to a plate. Roll up all the fried eggplant slices with cheese filling one by one. Put the plate in the fridge. That said, if both the filling and the eggplant have cooled to room temperature, you can serve them as an appetizer right away.
Serving
Before serving, arrange the eggplant with cheese on a suitable plate or platter next to the other appetizers of the meze spread. Sprinkle with 1–2 tbsp of pomegranate seeds (10–20 g) and, if you like, finely chopped cilantro. You can also drizzle over 1 tbsp of pomegranate juice, optionally.
Serve the appetizer with an aperitif or as an accompaniment to a side dish.
Calories and macros
123 kcal
100 g
- Protein3.5 g12% of kcal
- Fat10.2 g77% of kcal
- Carbs3.2 g11% of kcal
Calculated from the recipe ingredients, excluding salt and spices. Data: USDA and Matvaretabellen.
How did you like this recipe?
To Get It Right
Which cheese to use
The rolls turn out perfect with feta: this cheese is firm and great for fillings. Brynza, salted cottage cheese or Adyghe cheese work too, preferably not too salty. The filling should be thick, like a pâté, so the rolls don’t fall apart.
With tomatoes
Before rolling up an eggplant roll, lay a thin strip of tomato, seeds and juice removed, on the filling near the edge. Use a firm, meaty tomato: a watery one will make the filling soggy. Another eggplant and tomato dish is eggplant with tomatoes and dill.
With cream cheese or processed cheese
Instead of brynza, the eggplant rolls can take cream cheese such as Philadelphia, or processed cheese. They’re softer and barely salty: don’t add oil or sour milk to the filling, and salt to taste. For more flavor, crumble a little feta into it.
Making them ahead
The rolls can be made ahead: after a rest in the fridge they only get tastier. Cover the plate with plastic wrap and keep for up to a day; add the pomegranate seeds and cilantro just before serving.
Have your own trick for this recipe?
Questions and answers
Do you need to salt the eggplant for the rolls?
No. Young eggplants without seeds aren’t bitter, so there’s no need to soak them in salted water. The salt goes into the filling, to taste, if the cheese is mild.
How thick should you slice eggplant for rolls?
Into thin lengthwise slabs, about 0.5 cm. One medium eggplant gives 5–6 slices: thinner ones tear when rolled, thicker ones won’t roll well.
Can you bake the eggplant in the oven instead of frying?
Yes. Lay the slices on a baking sheet lined with parchment, brush both sides with oil and bake at 200 °C for 15–20 minutes, until soft and golden. Let them cool, then roll them up the same way.
Can you add mayonnaise to the filling?
You can: 1–2 tsp of mayonnaise (5–10 g) instead of the vegetable oil or sour milk if the filling turns out too thick. But mayonnaise makes the appetizer heavier, and the rolls aren’t as light as a meze should be.
What can you use instead of cilantro?
If you don’t like cilantro, use parsley, dill or basil: the same amount, finely chopped. The flavor will change, but the rolls stay fresh and aromatic.