Vegetables always have great nutritional values and we are told to eat vegetables on a daily basis to receive as much nutritive values.

Many a times while discussing about food, my friends have always complained about how difficult it is to get their children to eat vegetables. I am so very glad that my daughters love all the vegetables whatever the colour. Very surprisingly, I personally do not like broccoli except if it is made into a blended soup. My girls will make fun of me about this whenever I cook broccoli!

Brinjal is one  vegetable that my family loves. I love Malay style brinjal berlado the best or in Indian style chutneys which goes so well with briyanis.

I love to bake vegetables as often as possible with different herbs and possibilities and one such dish is this brinjal bake.

It looks very presentable, simple to do, no need to fuss in the kitchen type of recipe.

It is a side dish for pasta or a meat dish and sometimes it can be the main dish as well if you are a vegetarian.

You can experiment with the different cheeses that you like or keep to the safe ones that you normally use.

Use different types of brinjals, as each is a little different from each other in flavour and taste. The lighter green and purple ones are less bitter though.

For this recipe use the big dark purple eggplant as they are large and easy to cut into even large slices.

Lets enjoy vegetables!

INGREDIENTS

300 g brinjal.

1 tbsp chopped garlic

1 onion – chopped

1 tomato – chopped

50 g Parmesan cheese

2 tbsp breadcrumbs

50 g mozzarella cheese

50 g cheddar cheese

50 g Gruyere cheese

Olive oil for brushing the brinjal slices

1 cup milk

METHOD

Preheat oven to 180C

Cut brinjal into thin slices about half centimeter or ¼ inch.. Place on tray; brush both sides with olive oil.

Bake for 5 to 7 mins, remove tray from oven.

Combine the rest of the ingredients except Parmesan cheese into a bowl. Mix well.

In a baking dish, arrange the brinjal slices, then pour milk mixture, layer slices of brinjal, and repeat till all the brinjals and milk mixture is complete.

Top with Parmesan cheese and drizzle with olive oil.

Bake in oven for 35 to 40 mins till top is golden brown.

Serve.

NOTES:

More cheese can be added if you like it cheesier.

Always buy block cheese and grate yourself as I notice packaged grated cheese tend to taste “plastiky”

You may use the same recipe for cauliflower or broccoli – it tastes great.