Baingan Bharta Parmigiana (no onion garlic)

This dish is like a flavourful, cheesy eggplant lasagne that just melts in your mouth. It is one of the best comfort foods and a real crowd pleaser, should you choose to share.

Eggplant is one of those vegetables that I have a love hate relationship with. Sometimes I just can’t be around it but when cooked a certain way I keep going back for more.

Eggplant parmigiana is like a lasagne but instead of pasta sheets, we use eggplant slices. It’s made with layers of eggplant slices, basil, tomato sauce and cheese. Baingan Bharta is a dish you make by roasting and then mashing eggplant. The eggplant is then combined with spices and aromatics.

Combining these two dishes creates an outrageously delicious dish that you can’t help but keep coming back to. It’s full of flavour, cheesy and with a mixture of textures. Every time I make this for my friends and family, no one even notices that there’s no onion or garlic. A definite crowd pleaser!

Ingredients

Eggplant Slices

• 2 Medium Eggplants
• 2 tbl Olive Oil
• Salt, to taste
• Pepper, to taste

Baingan Bharta Sauce

• 2 tbl Olive Oil
• 1 green Chilli
• 1 tbl minced Ginger
• 2 medium Tomatoes, chopped small
• 1tsp Kashmiri Chilli Powder
• 1 ½ tsp Coriander Powder
• 1 tsp Paprika
• 1 tbl Tomato Paste
• ½ cup Water
• 1 cup Passata 
• ¼ cup finely chopped Coriander leaves
• 1 – 2 tsp Salt

Baingan Bharta Parmigiana

• 150g Mozzarella, in small pieces
• ½ cup Basil leaves
• ½ cup of Shredded Tasty Cheese
• 1 tsp dried chili flakes
• 1 tbl dried basil

Method:

Eggplant Slices

1. Preheat the oven to 200⁰
2. With one of the Eggplants, cut off the ends. Then cut it widthwise in 2cm circular pieces.
3. Toss 2tbl of olive oil, salt and pepper to taste with the eggplant slices.
4. On two 30 cm x 20cm baking trays lined with baking paper, spread the eggplant pieces and bake for 30 – 40 minutes until golden brown on the exterior and the flesh is tender.
5. Once the eggplant slices are roasted, let them rest.

Baingan Bharta Sauce

6. With the second eggplant, wash and dry it. Then using a fork prick the skin to assist the grilling process. Don’t overdo this, just 4 – 5 pierces on each of the ~4 sides.
7. Grill the eggplant over high heat, turning it over as each side is grilled. If the eggplant is heavier at the bottom where the seeds are, make sure you spend a bit of time grilling that part.
8. When the eggplant has cooked through and is effectively collapsed, wrap it in aluminum foil and let it cool.
9. Once the eggplant has cooled, cut off the stem and peel off the skin. Then mash the flesh of the eggplant until it’s a purée.
10. In a medium fry pan on medium-high heat add a tablespoon of olive oil.
11. Once the oil is hot, add the ginger and chili. Fry until fragrant stirring frequently, about a minute.
12. Then add the tomatoes with ½ tsp salt and cook until softened, stirring regularly. This takes about five minutes.
13. Add the coriander powder, chili powder, paprika and tomato paste and stir through. Cook for a further minute.
14. Add the eggplant purée and cook, stirring regularly for about a minute until well-combined.
15. Add the water and mix through. Cook this for a further 2 minutes until half the water has evaporated.
16. Add the passata and stir to combine. Cook for a further 3 – 5 minutes until well combined and the raw passata taste is no longer there.
17. Add salt to taste and stir through the chopped coriander.

Baingan Bharta Parmigiana

18. Preheat the oven to 175⁰C, fan forced.
19. To assemble, spread about 1/3 of the sauce over the bottom of a 20cm x 20cm baking tray.
20. Layer half of the eggplant slices evenly over the sauce.
21. Add a third of the basil leaves over the eggplant slices and then a third of the mozzarella on top of the basil leaves.
22. Repeat steps 19 – 21.
23. Spread the remaining third of the sauce over the mozzarella / basil.
24. Add the remaining third of the basil and mozzarella and top with the grated tasty cheese. You can use pre-packaged tasty cheese, grated cheddar cheese or even grated parmesan. I’ve found the texture of tasty cheese or grated cheddar works best.
25. Optional: Spread the chilli flakes and dried basil leaves over the grated cheese.
26. Bake for 25 – 30 minutes until the cheese topping is golden, and the sauce is oozing and bubbling from the sides.
27. Rest for 5 minutes and then serve.