Serves 8
Ingredients
- 1 cup green or red lentils
- 1 cup brown rice
- 2 medium eggplants
- salt
- 6 tbsp oil
- 3 tbsp butter/margarine
- 2 large onions, chopped
- 1 cup tomato puree
- ½ cup chopped parsley
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- ½ tsp nutmeg
- salt and pepper
- 1 cup red wine
- ½ cup veg chicken stock
- ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
- 250g ricotta cheese
- 4 eggs
- ½ cup milk
- garlic (optional)
Method
Cook lentils + rice in plenty of boiling, salted water until just tender – 30-40 min. Drain well.
While lentils + rice are cooking, slice eggplants + sprinkle with salt on both sides, rubbing it in well. Leave for 20-30 min to allow bitter juices to seep out. Rinse under cold water + pat dry with paper towel.
Preheat oven 180 degrees. Heat half the olive oil in a large frying pan, adding more oil as required. Fry eggplant slices until lightly browned on both sides – remove + drain. (Or, to save time + oil, grill or roast in the oven.)
Melt butter/margarine in pan, add onions + fry until softened. Add garlic (optional), tomato puree, parsley, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt + pepper to taste, wine + stock. Simmer 10 min. Add lentils + rice, stir well.
Grease a large, ovenproof dish + arrange a layer of eggplant slices over the base. Spoon half of the lentil + rice sauce over the top. Sprinkle over 2 tbsp parmesan cheese. Repeat layers of eggplant + rice mixture, finishing with a sprinkling of parmesan cheese.
Beat together the ricotta eggs + milk, pour this mixture over the top.
Bake for 50-60 minutes or until the top is puffed + golden.
Serve either hot or cold.
Source: Edwina