Eggplant Parmigiana

Parmigiana is one among the popular classic Italian dishes. Though the earlier version of this dish was made with eggplant, nowadays it is served with various types of fillings. Eggplant parmigiana is a delicious dish that can be prepared at home. In Italian, this dish is known as melanzane alla parmigiana or parmigiana di melanzane. Another common name for this dish is eggplant parmesan. It is said that the dish got its name from one of the ingredients - parmigiano-reggiano or parmesan cheese. There are many other theories regarding the name of this dish, which is one of the delicious Italian classic preparations.

What is Eggplant Parmigiana

It is a baked delicacy, which consists of fried eggplant slices layered with cheese and sauce. There are numerous versions of this dish that differ in the method of preparation. Even some of the ingredients, except eggplant, may have slight changes in different eggplant parmigiana recipes. While some people like to shallow fry the eggplant slices, others go for deep frying. Even sliced and roasted eggplant is used for preparing this parmigiana. As per some recipes, the eggplant slices are first dipped in beaten eggs and then coated with flour or breadcrumbs before frying. Even the type of cheese used in this dish may vary, as some people prefer hard varieties like Parmesan, while others go for softer ones like mozzarella.

How to Make Eggplant Parmigiana

It is very easy to prepare this parmigiana, if you know the right method. It can be served with bread or can be used in sandwiches. You may also use it as an appetizer or as the main dish. The following recipe is one of the easy recipes, which can be prepared within forty minutes. This recipe can yield around 6 to 8 servings of eggplant parmigiana.

Ingredients

• Large eggplants - 2
• Eggs - 4
• All-purpose flour - 1 cup
• Breadcrumbs - 4 cups
• Marinara sauce - 1 quart
• Romano cheese (grated) - 4 ounces
• Mozzarella cheese slices - 8 ounces
• Oil - As per requirement

Method of Preparation

Wash and peel the eggplants. Peeling is optional and the skin of this vegetable is rich in nutrients. Cut the eggplants to slices that are ¼ inch in thickness. You may add salt to the slices and keep them for around one hour, so as to the reduce the pungent smell of the eggplant and to drain some moisture. Otherwise, you can directly use the cut slices. The next step is to coat the sides of each eggplant slice with flour and then dip them in beaten eggs, which is kept in a separate bowl. Once you coat the slices with beaten eggs, coat them with breadcrumbs and shallow fry them (you may also do deep frying). Once the slices become golden brown in color, transfer them to a rectangular baking pan, which is coated with marinara sauce. Spread a layer of fried eggplant slices over the marinara sauce in the bottom of the pan and top it with mozzarella slices and grated Romano. Add some more sauce before starting with the next layer. Once the layering is over, make a top layer of sauce and cheese. Now, cook the eggplant for around twenty-five minutes in an oven, which is preheated to 350° F. After removing the dish from the oven, let it sit for ten minutes before serving.

You may also try grilled eggplant parmigiana recipe, which is also equally popular. So, prepare it at home and enjoy the delicacy, which is among the popular ones in Italian cuisine. As far as the calorie content in dish is concerned , it may vary with the ingredients used and the method of preparation.