Eggplant Parmesan

My version of eggplant parmesan is very rich and is only for those special occasions if  you are health conscious. Its quite addictive, and that's coming from yours truly who used to hate eggplants after having eaten them in some form e.g. subji, pakora's, stir-fries etc., for practically every single day for 2 months my first time in India!! Seriously...

Ingredients

2 medium sized eggplants washed, headed n tailed, and sliced thin
2 big tomatoes sliced
Approx 4 cups barbecue sauce (see my post for barbecue paneer for the sauce recipe)
Vegetarian shredded parmesan cheese (Wholefoods brand is good)

Coating for eggplants: 2 cups olive oil, 1/2 cup tamari, paprika, asafoetida, Italian herbs, old Bay spice, 1 tsp ground black pepper, pinch of cayenne pepper. Mix everything in a bowl and beat into an even consistency with a whisk.

Method

There are certainly different ways of preparing this . . here's my way:

Sprinkle eggplant slices generously with sea salt and let sit for 15 mins or so til they "sweat". This removes any residual bitterness in the eggplants. Pat dry with paper towels. Coat eggplant slices evenly in the oil mixture and place on a baking tray. (Alternatively you may simply dip the eggplant slices in all purpose flour once you have patted them dry, and skip the middle step of pre-baking them . . if you use this method then you will need to bake the dish longer in the oven. It will be less rich, but very tasty this way too.)

Bake eggplants til they are browned and soft but not mushy. Handle the eggplant slices carefully to keep their shape when you remove them from the tray.

Arrange a layer of eggplant interspersed with tomato slices on a glass baking dish, cover with barbecue sauce, Sprinkle with parmesan cheese, and add another layer, keep going until you use up the ingredients. The top should be generously sprinkled with parmesan cheese. Bake at 375 fahrenheit til nicely browned on the edges.

Great served hot with pasta and a big green salad.