Eggplant Parmigiano: an exquisitely spicy and juicy dish

Delicious and very popular in Italian cuisine, eggplant Parmigiano is a kind of vegetable casserole with tomato sauce and cheese. According to the traditional recipe, the dish is assembled from fried eggplant slices, which are laid in rows on top of each other, sandwiched with a boiled mixture of crushed tomatoes and aromatic additives, and also supplemented with mozzarella and/or Parmesan. Once assembled, the layered pieces go into the oven to melt the cheese and combine the delicious flavors.

The tender flesh of the main ingredient, eggplant, is noticeably transformed when combined with the basic tomato sauce. Pieces of greenery not only add bright colors, but also enhance the taste. The dish is complemented favorably by viscous melted cheese. Let's try to prepare this delicious mixture at home, of course, adapting the original recipe to our realities and the products of local supermarkets.

Ingredients:

• eggplants - 500 g;
• mozzarella - 200 g;
• eggs - 2 pcs.;
• milk - 2 tbsp. spoons;
• flour - 50 g;
• breadcrumbs - about 100 g;
• Parmesan cheese or the like. - about 80 g;
• vegetable oil (for frying).

For the sauce:

• fresh tomatoes - 500 g;
• bell pepper - 100 g;
• onion - 1 head;
• garlic - 1-2 cloves;
• green basil or parsley - 3-4 sprigs;
• sugar - ½ teaspoon;
• salt, pepper - to taste.

Eggplant Parmigiano recipe with photos step by step

1. You can cut the eggplants for Parmigiano lengthwise into long slices or circles 7-10 mm thick - in our example, the second option. Place the slices in a bowl, sprinkle with salt, mix and leave for 20-30 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, prepare tomato sauce. We peel the tomatoes by making cross-shaped cuts, pour boiling water over the fruits and leave for 5-10 minutes. Then rinse with cold water and remove the softened skin.
3. Chop the tomato pulp very finely or grind it in the bowl of a blender with knives.
4. Take a saucepan with high sides or a thick-bottomed pan/ladle. Warm up the container by covering the bottom with a thin layer of vegetable oil. Place onions on a hot surface, previously peeled and chopped into small cubes. Fry the slices until soft and transparent. We do not allow the onion to darken and burn - to do this, do not forget to stir it, and also maintain moderate heat.
5. Peel the pepper from seeds and cut into small cubes. Add to softened onion. Stirring occasionally, fry the mixture for 5 minutes. The oil will be saturated with the appetizing aroma of onions and peppers and thoroughly saturate the vegetable mix.
6. Add tomatoes. Keep the sauce on the fire at a low simmer for about 10-15 minutes until it thickens slightly and excess liquid evaporates. Stir occasionally and finally season with sugar, salt and pepper to taste.
7. Add finely chopped basil or parsley leaves, squeeze the garlic cloves through a press.
8. Stir the tomato sauce and remove from heat.
9. We prepare everything necessary for breading and frying eggplants. Combine the eggs with milk, add a pinch of ground pepper, and add a little salt. Shake the mixture with a fork until the ingredients combine. Pour flour and breadcrumbs into different containers.
10. Wash the soaked eggplants thoroughly to remove salt. Then dip one circle in flour, roll on all sides.
11. After the flour “shell,” dip the eggplant into the egg mixture and then generously coat it in breadcrumbs.
12. In a large frying pan, heat a generous layer of refined oil. Place breaded eggplants and fry on both sides until lightly charred. The oil should almost completely cover the vegetable mugs. Transfer the fried eggplants to a plate covered with paper napkins to absorb excess fat.
13. Place a small portion of tomato sauce on the bottom of the baking dish, then place a third of the eggplants in one layer. Grease the mugs with sauce on top.
14. Grate Parmesan or other cheese on a fine grater. Sprinkle some of the cheese shavings over the eggplants.
15. Place another circle on each eggplant, brush with sauce again, and sprinkle with cheese. We remove the mozzarella from the whey, cut it into circles and place one on each vegetable “pyramid”.
16. Next, we form another layer of eggplants, brush with sauce, cover with mozzarella and sprinkle with cheese. We get multi-layered preparations consisting of three eggplant circles with layers of sauce and cheese. Place the pan in a preheated oven. Bake for about 20 minutes at 180 degrees (until the cheese melts).
17. Eggplant Parmigiano can be eaten either hot or cooled. Fresh vegetables and herbs will perfectly complement and decorate the dish.

Bon appetit!
*Eggplant Parmigiano in Italian*
This bright and hearty Italian dish comes from Sicily. It is prepared both as an appetizer in small portions and as a main dish in a large baking dish. Here, spicy tomato sauce with the aroma of basil, tender mozzarella and spicy Parmesan perfectly complement the taste of fried eggplant. INGREDIENTS PREPARATION If you don’t have passata and are cooking with tomatoes, scald the tomatoes with boiling water, remove the skin, and cut into small cubes. Heat olive oil in a saucepan, add finely chopped garlic, fry it for 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Add chopped basil, parsley, salt, pepper, fry for 10 seconds, pour in chopped tomatoes, mix everything. Let the sauce boil, reduce the heat to low, cover the saucepan and cook for 25 minutes. During cooking, the sauce must be stirred periodically.

Wash the eggplants, dry them, do not peel them. Cut into circles, 1 cm thick. Place the chopped eggplants in a colander, add 1 tbsp salt. l. and leave in the sink for 40-60 minutes. Afterwards, rinse the eggplants well under running water and dry with a paper towel. Place flour for breading in a large dish.

In a shallow bowl, beat eggs with salt, 2-3 tbsp. l. grated parmesan and chopped parsley. Heat vegetable oil for deep frying in a deep saucepan. Bread the eggplant slices in flour, then dip in the egg mixture and deep-fry until golden brown. Place the fried eggplants on a plate with a paper napkin to drain excess fat.

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees. Pour 1 cup of marinara sauce into the bottom of a 15 x 25 cm baking dish, place the fried eggplants in a single layer, and brush another 4 tbsp on top of the eggplants. l. sauce and sprinkle with some mozzarella and parmesan cheese. We also repeat the second layer - eggplant, marinara sauce, mozzarella cheese and Parmesan. Thus, we will have three such layers. Cover the dish with eggplants with foil and bake in a preheated oven for 50 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and let it stand for about thirty minutes so that the casserole cools slightly. Serve eggplant Parmigiano with warm marinara sauce and grated Parmesan cheese.

The way of the eggplant

Eggplant has come a long way before taking its rightful place on restaurant menus and a place on our kitchen table.

For example, in Ancient Greece they believed that this plant was poisonous. The Greeks called the eggplant the “rabies apple” or “madness apple.” Allegedly, eating eggplant deprived a person of his mind.

By the way, eggplant’s relatives (potatoes and tomatoes) were also considered outcasts for a long time.

Today, eggplant is cooked all over the world. Particularly in Europe, and especially in Italy.

But in general, wild eggplant originates in India. It is even mentioned in Sanskrit manuscripts.

Then this plant appeared in Japan and China. And only in the Middle Ages did eggplant find its way to Europe. Where for centuries it was considered an ornamental plant. And the fact that eggplant can be eaten was understood only in the 19th century.

Moreover, a variety of eggplant that is rare today was widespread. Not dark purple, as we are used to, but white. In English, eggplant is called eggplant - “plant egg”. The white fruits of this plant resembled chicken eggs.

By the way, the size of the fruit can vary from 3 to 35 cm.

And further. Many people consider eggplant a vegetable, but in fact it is a berry. Like a watermelon.

Special properties of eggplant

Eggplant contains a strong antioxidant (nionin), which protects brain membranes from free radicals. Prevents cancer.

The fruits of the plant have a bitter taste. Interestingly, the smaller the fruit, the sweeter it is. The bitter taste comes from the nicotine present in the seeds of the plant. But there's no need to worry. To get the dose of nicotine contained in one cigarette, you need to eat 9 kg of eggplant in one go.

This berry has very delicate fiber. It improves digestion and reduces cholesterol levels in the blood.

The plant is rich in potassium, which is extremely beneficial for the functioning of the heart and removes excess fluid from the body. Eggplant helps with gout. Has low calorie content. So it is quite suitable for various types of diets.

Eggplants make excellent preparations.

Eggplant Parmigiano in Italian is a gourmet dish. Gourmets generally love this berry for its uniqueness: raw fruits smell like mushrooms, and fried fruits taste like veal.

Italian eggplant Parmigiano comes in two varieties: Roman and Tuscan.

In the first case, the fruit is cut, dried, and then fried. In the second, before frying, eggplant pieces are placed in a mixture of eggs and flour.

We offer you an original Italian-style eggplant Parmigiano recipe, which we have slightly adapted to our realities.

Compound:

• Medium eggplants – 3 pcs.
• Parmesan cheese – 200 gr.
• Mozzarella cheese – 200 gr.

For the Marinara sauce:

• Tomato paste (or pulp of ripe tomatoes) – 800 gr.
• Olive oil – 60 ml.
• Garlic – 3-4 teeth.
• Fresh green basil 3 tbsp. l.;
• Salt – 1 tsp;
• Ground black pepper – 0.5 tsp.

Cooking method:

1. Wash the eggplants under cold running water and cut into thin slices lengthwise.

2. Sprinkle the eggplant slices with salt and leave for about an hour.

Preparing Marinara Sauce

3. Take 400 grams of tomato paste and 400 grams of fresh tomatoes. Scald the tomatoes with boiling water, remove the skin and grate them.

4. Heat olive oil in a saucepan.

5. Place peeled garlic cloves in it, wait until it starts to emit a pleasant aroma (about 1-2 minutes) and add tomato paste and tomato pulp there. Add a few fresh basil leaves here, bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low and cook for about 20-25 minutes. Then remove from heat and cover with a lid (do not forget to stir the sauce periodically while cooking).

Cooking eggplants

6. Take several slices of eggplant and squeeze them forcefully. You can do this through a towel for better effect.

Important!!!

When squeezing the eggplants, do not pour the released water into the sink, but return it back to the bowl with the eggplants. As the Italians themselves say, only in this case will the eggplants have the correct texture and taste.

7. Heat vegetable oil in a frying pan and fry the eggplants on both sides (until crispy). In the end they should turn out like chips.

While one batch of eggplants is frying, squeeze out new ones. We perform this operation in a circle.

8. Grate Parmesan cheese.

9. Tear the Mozzarella cheese into pieces.

10. Preheat the oven to 180C.

11. Take a baking dish and coat the bottom with a few tablespoons of sauce.

12. Place a layer of eggplant slices on top of the sauce.

13. Add a few spoons of sauce again.

14. Sprinkle with Parmesan and a few pieces of Mozzarella cheese.

15. Place a new layer of eggplant on top of the mozzarella, pour sauce over it, sprinkle with Parmesan and mozzarella. Repeat until all the eggplants and sauce are gone.

16. Place our dish in the oven for 30-40 minutes (until the top layer of cheese melts).

It is advisable to serve the dish warm, while the cheese stretches and releases its spicy aromas (although cold is no worse).

PS

You probably noticed that we didn't add salt to the sauce. The fact is that the eggplants will already be slightly salty due to the Parmesan. Salt can be added to taste to the finished dish.

step by step recipe with photos

The famous cheese that made Parma famous throughout the world magically transforms everything it is combined with. Eggplant Parmigiano is no exception, to which it imparts its characteristic aroma and spicy aftertaste, turning an ordinary vegetable dish into a rare and exquisite appetizer.

The abundance of garlic, as an integral part of Italian cuisine, should not overwhelm the delicate nutty taste of the cheese according to the original recipe.

Large bread crumbs make up the main distinctive feature of the dish and highlight the spiciness of the spicy tomato sauce. It is better to peel eggplants from thin but strong peel - it will interfere with enjoying the dish to the fullest.

Preparation

1. Wash and dry large eggplants. Trim the ponytails. Cut into rings 5-7 mm thick. Dissolve 1-2 tablespoons of salt in 1-1.5 liters of cold water. Dip the eggplants into the salted liquid. Cover the top with a lid so that all the rings are in the water. Leave for 30-40 minutes.

2. Prepare the sauce. Rinse the tomatoes. Make a cross-shaped cut on top. Place in boiling water for 30-40 seconds. Then transfer to cold water and cool.

3. Peel and cut into small cubes.

4. Heat vegetable oil in a saucepan. Add peeled and chopped garlic. Fry for 1-2 minutes over low heat.

5. Add chopped tomatoes. Stir. Cover with a lid and bring to a boil.

6. Wash the basil leaves, chop finely, add to the boiling sauce. Stir. Simmer covered for 30 minutes over low heat.

7. Meanwhile, tear the white bread into pieces and dry in the oven until golden brown at a temperature of 200 degrees for 10-13 minutes.

8. Grind the crackers with a mortar.

9. Add a couple of tablespoons of vegetable oil and chopped garlic. Stir.

10. At the end of cooking, season the sauce with salt, pepper and sugar and turn off the heat.

11. Rinse the eggplants and dry with a napkin.

12. Fry in a hot frying pan with vegetable oil until golden brown on both sides, 2-4 minutes on each side over high heat.

Parmigiano

- Italian eggplant appetizer, which can be eaten cold, warm, or hot.

This means you can prepare it at any time, don’t be afraid to make too much, everyone will definitely eat it. It's so delicious!