Eggplant and Spinach Bake

As a family, we love our Indian food and a second favorite is Italian. I have heard and read that Italians are very similar to Indians with regards to food and family life. No wonder we can relate to them and have a strong liking to their cuisine. Back in India in the early 2000's Italian for me was just pizza and pasta. As I explored more I came across many other dishes that I would love to try. One such recipe was the Eggplant Parmesan. The Eggplant and Spinach Bake is inspired from the Eggplant Parmesan, a classic Italian recipe. Broken down into three parts, this recipe is time consuming, but completely worth it.

Eggplant Spinach Bake

Ingredients

Eggplant Spinach Bake with Cheddar Cheese

• 1 large eggplant, cut into round slices
• 1 big bowl of spinach leaves, finely chopped
• 1 bowl of grated mozrella cheese
• 1 tbsp parmesan cheese, fresh or powdered
• 2-3 tomatoes, boiled and pureed
• 2 garlic pods, finely chopped
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 2 tbsp Oil
• 1 tbsp red chilly flakes
• 1 tsp mixed Italian herbs
• Salt and pepper to taste

Eggplant Spinach Bake with Mozrella

Method

• Cut the eggplant into round slices, sprinkle salt on both sides and leave aside for 30 minutes. this process helps to remove the bitterness from the eggplant. 
• Meanwhile, heat oil in a pan, add the onion and garlic and fry till golden brown. add the tomato puree and mix well. 
• Once the tomatoes are cooked, add salt, pepper, red chilly flakes and mixed italian herbs. Keep aside.
• Take a kitchen towel and press the egplant slices in that and pat dry
• In another flat pan, heat oil and roast the eggplant slices until both sides are golden brown.
• Take a baking dish, layer the eggplant slices, tomato sauce, spinach leaves, parmesan and mozrella cheese in the order mentioned.
• Bake at 180 C / 350 F for 30 mins and serve hot

You can even use Cheddar cheese instead of Mozrella cheese. I have tried both and it tastes equally good.