Roasted Baby Eggplant Poppers are a delicious, colorful addition to any dinner plate and can also be served as an attractive appetizer. They are many with mini eggplants, simple to prepare, vegan, and delicious to eat, and I promise you won't be able to stop at one!
How to Select and Store Baby Eggplant
Baby eggplant, also called Indian eggplant, range in size from about 2 to 4 inches long. They are sweeter than large Italian eggplants and average 8 pieces per pound. Select unblemished eggplants that are even in size, so they cook at the same rate. If you are roasting a batch of baby eggplants of various sizes, you can remove them from the pan as they are finished. Just keep an eye on the pan, so the little ones don't burn.
Store eggplant at room temperature for one or two days. You can also store them in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days loosely wrapped in a plastic bag.
How to Prepare the Roasted Mini Eggplants
Wash each eggplant, paying careful attention to the area around the stem which might have debris around it. I halved each eggplant, cutting each one lengthwise right next to the stem.
For the garlic, you have two options.
- One, you can separate the cloves and scatter them around the eggplant unpeeled. When they are roasted, the cloves will slip right out of their skins.
- The second option is to peel each clove by placing them on a flat surface and pressing down on each one with the side of a large chef's knife. The skins will come right off. Slice the woody end off of each clove after peeling.
Brush the cut side of the eggplant with olive oil (you can also use avocado oil or coconut oil) and season generously with salt and pepper.
Depending on the eggplant's size, roast for 25-35 minutes until tender and golden brown.
Can I eat the skin of a baby eggplant?
Absolutely! Just pop the whole thing in your mouth and toss the stem. They're delicious!
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Roasted Baby Eggplant Poppers
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds baby eggplant about 12 pieces, rinsed and dried
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 head of garlic separated into cloves, peeled
- 1 teaspoon pink Himalayan salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- 2 lemons quartered
- 2 tablespoon fresh parsley or basil roughly chopped
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Prepare a baking pan with a sheet of parchment paper.
- Cut each eggplant in half lengthwise and place on the sheet pan with the cut side up. Scatter garlic around the eggplant.
- Brush the flesh of each eggplant and the garlic with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Turn over each eggplant (face down) on the pan.
- Roast for 25-35 minutes or until tender throughout.
- Scatter fresh herbs over the top. Serve hot or room temperature with lemon wedges and fresh herbs.
Nutrition
Nutrition Information
The nutrition information is provided as a courtesy and it comes from online calculators. Although we try to attempt to provide accurate information, these figures are estimates only.
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