Eggplant Parmesan is one of my all time favorite dishes. The first time I tried it was during my year as an Au Pair in Westchester, New York. Strangely, Eggplant Parmesan or any of the Parmesan dishes like Chicken Parmesan, are not well known in Germany. Since I believe this is a shame because of the deliciousness of the dish I will try my best to change that. Maybe I can help a little and introduce Eggplant Parmesan to some Germans.
To release some of the bitterness from the eggplants you need to season then with salt very well and have them rest for a while. Do not worry, you wash the salt of.
Eggplant in general divides the minds, the one side they love them, the other’s do not really understand why they should eat them. Perhaps because they were had too often eggplant flooded in oil at the Greek or Turkish restaurant around the corner. Or had quite the opposite eating eggplant that was like a dry sponge. Fortunately these eggplants are neither greasy nor a sponge.
With proper preparation you also avoid the slightly bitter taste that eggplant can have. Due to the bitter substances in eggplants you should also not eat them raw. Works with Zucchini. They are great raw but do not try that with eggplants, no fun. For the eggplant parmesan it is not important what kind of eggplant you use. In most German supermarkets you get the dark violet kind, but there are also some that have white spots or are rather rounded instead of long.
Eggplants have a lot of fiber that increases its volume in your stomach and therefore keeps you full filled. The bitter substances can have a relaxing and anticonvulsant effect on the digestive tract. The eggplant contains potassium, copper, manganese, as well as the B vitamins B1, B2 and B9. If you do not drown them in oil you are actually doing something nice for your health. But most important I am sure this will also become one of your all time favorites.
Since the eggplant first need some time in the oven you have all the time in the world to prepare the tomato sauce. I use the recipe below also for pizza the with just less liquid.
I prepare my eggplants with gluten-free Panko flour. Should you not have a gluten intolerance you can of course also take normal Panko or should Panko not be available, just use regular breadcrumbs. With Panko breading the crust is slightly crispier than with regular breadcrumbs. In my recipe I use vegan “Parmesan” of course you could also accept use regular Parmesan.
Eggplant Parmesan
Print This
Ingredients
Breaded Eggplants
- 2 Eggplants – When they are really shiny then you have very fresh eggplants
- 1 cup – Potato Starch
- 4 tbsp. Vegan Parmesan – See recipe for Vegan Parmesan – You can also use regular Parmesan.
- 2 1/2 cups Gluten Free Panko – or regular Panko if you are not living gluten free
- 3 Eggs – For a vegan version, just mix 1 cup Almond Milk with 1 tbsp. potato starch
- 2 tbsp Almond Milk
- 1 tsp. Thyme – Fresh or dried
- 1 tsp. Oregano – Fresh or dried
- 1/4 tbsp. Sea Salt
- Fresh Ground Pepper – For Seasoning
- 4 tbsp. Coconut Oil – When you decide to take the step to cook the eggplant first in a pan, see below.
Tomato Sauce
- 6 cups Crushed Tomatoes – Or two big cans of crushed tomatoes
- 1 Clove of Garlic – Minced
- 1 tbsp. Oregano – Dried or fresh
- 1 tbsp. Thyme – Dried or fresh
- 1 small Onion
- Sea Salt – For seasoning
- Fresh Ground Pepper – For seasoning
Instructions
Breaded Eggplants
- Wash the eggplants and cut into 1 cm thick slices.
Put eggplants in a bowl, or a sieve, and add salt to the eggplant slices from all sides. Cover everything and let stand for 30 minutes. - Preheat the oven to 350° Fahrenheit. After the 30 minutes rinse the eggplants under running water, then place the slices on the kitchen crepe, the kitchen crepe should be a bit thicker. Place on the top of the slices also kitchen crepe and press everything vigorously, so that the eggplant slices are dry.
- Have three small, not too high bowls ready. Whisk the 3 eggs into a bowl and whisk, season with salt and pepper. Put the cornstarch in the second bowl. Add to the third bowl the panko, vegan parmesan, salt, pepper and the chopped herbs.
- First dip the eggplant slices into the cornstarch, then the egg mixture and finally into the Panko mixture. Make sure that the eggplant slices are completely covered with breadcrumbs. Then place the slices on a baking tray lined with baking paper.
- The next step is not absolutely necessary, but I think he gives the aubergines or the breading once again the right consistency. It may be that the breading is otherwise a bit dry.
- Heat the coconut oil in a large pan and sauté the aubergines briefly from both sides. Then put the slices back on the baking sheet and place in the oven for some minutes or serve immediately with the tomato sauce.
Tomato Sauce
- Skin the onions and cut into small cubes, fry in a little olive oil until glassy. Add garlic and sauté briefly. Beware, if the garlic gets too dark, unfortunately it will be bitter too.
- Add tomatoes and herbs, cook the sauce for about 30 minutes, season with salt and pepper.
Notes
If you have guests, you can leave larger quantities of aubergine slices in the oven for a long time at 100 degrees. The right dish even if guests come at different times or for a party. Each guest can take eggplants and tomato sauce when they are hungry.