RECIPE: Eggplant Parmigiana

Here is my Eggplant Vegan Parmigiana from Episode 1 of The Chefs' Line. As judge Dan Hong said, 'It was a really great take on this classic dish. A delicious vegan Eggplant Parmigiana.' You're going to love it too. This can easily be made gluten free.

EGGPLANT VEGAN PARMIGIANA

INGREDIENTS

Pomodoro Sugo

700ml tomato passata

2 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed with a knife

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

few torn basil leaves

salt to taste

Eggplant

2 medium to large eggplants

1 ½ cups plain flour (or gluten free flour)

¼ cup nutritional yeast flakes

2 tablespoons dried oregano, plus extra to serve

1 ½ cups soy milk

1 tsp salt

rice bran oil, for shallow frying

Cashew Parmesan

½ cup raw cashews

¼ cup nutritional yeast flakes ½ teaspoon onion powder ½ teaspoon salt

Melted Cheese Sauce

1 ½ cups regular soy milk

½ cup nutritional yeast flakes

2 tablespoons cornflour

1-2 teaspoons ‘chicken’ style flavoured stock powder

METHOD

Sugo

First make the pomodoro sauce. Heat the oil over a low-medium heat and add the garlic.

Allow to infuse for 1-2 minutes, ensuring the garlic doesn’t brown.

Stir through the passata, salt and basil leaves. Simmer over a low heat for 15-20 minutes while you prepare the eggplant and cheese sauce, stirring sauce occasionally.

Preheat the oven to 180C.

Eggplant

Thinly slice the eggplant into even long strips, using a mandolin or knife.

Into one medium bowl pour in the soy milk and in another bowl, combine the flour, nutritional yeast flakes, oregano and salt.

Dip each eggplant slice in the soy milk and then coat in the flour mixture.

Heat the oil and then fry the eggplant slices in batches until golden brown. Drain on absorbent paper and set aside.

Cashew Parmesan

Place all ingredients into a nut or spice grinder and grind to a fine or chunky meal, to your preference. Set aside.

Melted Cheese

In a medium saucepan, heat soy milk and add the cornflour which has been first dissolved in a little of the milk.

Add the nutritional yeast flakes and stock powder.

Whisk until the sauce thickens. Check seasonings, adding extra salt if necessary. This is your melted cheese sauce.

Assembly

In a baking dish (sizes can vary, I used a 26cm x 16cm baking dish) spread a ladle of the pomodoro sugo over the base. Then place a layer of the fried eggplant slices.

Next, generously drizzle the melted cheese sauce and then sprinkle with the cashew parmesan.

Repeat the layering until the eggplant is all used, then finish with a final layer of the pomodoro sugo, cheese sauce and cashew parmesan. Drizzle over some extra olive oil and sprinkling of oregano.

Bake uncovered in the preheated oven for approximately 20 minutes or until the sauce is bubbling happily away.

Allow to rest for at least 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

Enjoy with crusty bread and salad.