The one plant that the squirrels do not enjoy is eggplant. That is a blessing and also a curse.
I’ve been hunting recipes ever since.
I found an interesting one that used rice. It called for the rice to be cooked – but generally i have frozen left over rice from take out meals.
I added some umami spice, paprika etc
Eggplant Rice Patties
September 23, 2025
Category
Appetizers
Veggies
Waste Not Want Not
Persons
1
Serving Size
6-8 patties
Prep Time
10 minutes
Cook Time
45 minutes
Wait Time
3 minutes
Total Time
55 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 cup cooked rice
- 1 medium eggplant, peeled and diced
- 1 tbsp (15g) tomato paste (tomato concentrate)
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 3 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
- 3-4 tbsp breadcrumbs
- 1 large egg
- Salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
Prepare the Eggplant:
- finely dice the eggplant.
- In a large skillet, heat a little oil over medium heat.
- Add the diced eggplant, season with salt and pepper, and cook.
- Cover the skillet and let the eggplant steam and soften for about 10-15 minutes, or until very tender.
- Sauté Aromatics: In a separate small pan, heat a little oil.
- Add the finely chopped onion and sauté for 2-3 minutes until translucent.
- Add the minced garlic and cook for another minute until fragrant.
- Combine Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, combine the cooled cooked rice, the cooked eggplant mixture, the sautéed onion and garlic, and the tomato paste. Mix well.
- Form the Patties: To the mixture, add the egg, grated Parmesan cheese, breadcrumbs, and a pinch more of salt and pepper. Mix everything together with your hands until well combined and you can form patties. If the mixture is too wet, add another tablespoon of breadcrumbs.
- Original recipe called for frying. I put the batter into the air fryer and it was great!
Verdict:
This was such a fun recipe! The rice added nice texture and the spices could be meandered into anything. I loved that it came out ok in the air fryer!
If you try this let me know what you think!
