Eggplant with Lemon noodles

Preparation time:30 minutes
Total cooking time:12 minutes
Serves 4

Ingredients:
1 kg(2lb) small eggplants
1 tbsp salt
oil,for cooking
2 tsp cumin seeds
3 cloves garlic,crushed
2 green chili,chopped
8 spring onions,sliced
1 tbsp ground coriander
1 tsp grated lemon rind
1/2cup(80ml) lemon juice
2 tsp brown sugar
salt to taste
2 tbsp fresh coriander leaves,chopped

Method:
1.Cut Eggplants into small cubes.Put in a colander and sprinkle with the salt.Leave for 15 minutes,then rinse under cold water and pat dry with paper towels.
2.Heat the wok with some oil and stir-fry the eggplants until brown and cooked.Remove from the wok.
3.Add 1 tsp oil again in the wok.Add cumin seeds,garlic,green chili,spring onions,ground coriander and eggplants.Stir-fry and cook for a minute or two.
4.Season with the rest and serve it with buckwheat noodles.

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Hint:Cook the noodles separate.
Variation:Can use any plain noodles of your choice.

Chicken and Eggplant Stir-fry

A delicious combination that can be put together in no time.It smells so good while you're making it. The soft flesh of the eggplant absorbs all the flavors of the spices and pairs perfectly with the chicken.

Preparation time:15 minutes
Total cooking time:20 minutes
Serves 4

Ingredients:
Oil,for cooking
1 onion,finely chopped
500g(1lb) eggplant,cut into thin slices like french fries
600g(11/4lb) chicken fillet,cut diagonally into thin slices
2 cloves garlic,finely chopped
2 small red chili,seeded and finely chopped
1 tbsp ground cumin
1 tbsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground turmeric
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 cup thick coconut cream
1 tbsp chopped fresh mint
2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
lemon wedges,to serve

Method:
1.Heat the wok with 2 tsp of oil.Stir-fry the onions until golden.Remove and set aside.
2.Add 1 tbsp oil and cook the eggplant in the same wok until golden brown.Remove and drain on a paper towel.
3.Again add 2 tsp of oil and stir-fry the chicken until browned and cooked.
4.Return the onions,eggplant.Along with garlic,chili and spices and cook for 1minute.Pour in the coconut cream and bring to a boil.
5.Stir in the fresh herbs and season with salt and pepper.Serve with the lemon wedge.
NUTRITION PER SERVE
Protein 35g;Fat 30g;Carbohydrate 7g;Dietary Fibre 5g;Cholesterol 100mg;1775kJ(425cal)

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VARIATION:Can substitute 2 tsp of chili powder instead of fresh red chillies.
HINT:Stir-fry the chicken and eggplant in batches if necessary,to prevent it stewing.

EGGPLANT PARMESAN

This recipe was inspired from one of the shows in Food Network.And I have changed some of the ingredient according to my taste.

Ingredients

Tomato Sauce:
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 large yellow onion, coarsely chopped
4 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
2 roasted red peppers, peeled, seeded and chopped
3 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
3 tablespoons freshly chopped parsley
3 tablespoons freshly chopped basil leaves
1 tablespoon dry oregano
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon Honey 

Eggplant:
5 cups breadcrumbs
Butter, for greasing the dish
3 tablespoons chopped parsley
1 tablespoon dry oregano
1 tablespoon dry thyme
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
5 large eggs, beaten
1 big eggplants cut into 1/2-inch-thick round slices (need about 10 slices)
All-purpose flour, for dredging
Vegetable oil, for frying
Tomato Sauce
1/2 pound fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced
12 ounces grated fontina
3/4 cup grated Parmesan chesse
Fresh basil leaves, torn

Method
For Tomato Sauce:
1.Heat the oil in a large pan. Add the onion and cook until golden brown. Add the garlic ,red pepper and cayenne pepper and cook for 1 minute.
2.Add the tomatoes, bring to a boil and cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 25 to 30 minutes. Make it into a puree using a blender.
3.Return the mixture back to the pan, add the parsley, basil and oregano and season with salt and pepper. Cook for 10 minutes longer and season with honey, if needed.

For the Eggplant:
1.Mix bread crumbs into a large shallow bowl. Add the herbs, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper.
2.In another medium shallow bowl, whisk the eggs and 2 tablespoons of water together.
3.Season each eggplant slice on both sides with salt and pepper. Dredge each eggplant slice in the flour, tapping off excess, then dip it in the egg, and finally dredge it in the bread crumb mixture. Shake off any excess breading and transfer the egg plant to a baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining eggplant.
4.Heat oil in a large pan over medium heat and fry all the eggplant slices, turning once, until golden brown, about 3 minutes per batch.
5.Finally cover the bottom of the prepared baking dish with some of the tomato sauce and arrange 1/2 of the eggplant over the sauce. Cover the eggplant with some of the sauce, sliced mozzarella, fontina, Romano cheese and some of the basil. Repeat the layers ending with the sauce. Top with the fresh mozzarella and remaining Romano and bake until hot and just beginning to brown, about 30 minutes. Let rest 10 minutes before serving.