As I write this, fat snowflakes are falling outside my window and the lavender hue of the waning daylight makes it clear just how frigid it is. It is an ideal January day for huddling indoors – and it’s also just the right time to make aubergine parmesan.
Aubergine parmesan is ideal January fare. It’s a veggie-friendly option for those planning to abstain from meat this month. (If you swap in plant-based mozzarella and hold the Parm, it could even be made vegan.) It’s also much less faff to make than a lasagne, but still has all of the comfort and cosiness, as well as the spectacle: It comes out of the oven steaming and bubbling volcanically.
Rather than make a traditional version of the dish, I recalled Nik Sharma’s brilliant Indian-style aubergine parmesan, which borrows some of the flavours of baingan bharta but keeps the layered, Italian format. I hewed pretty closely to Sharma’s recipe, including his suggestion to salt and roast the aubergine slices before using them in the dish, to help prevent excess moisture. I also made a few tweaks to suit my tastes (and the frost outside), including upping the spicing; adding ginger and bird’s-eye chillis to the tomato sauce’s aromatic base, and finishing with a quick tadka of Sharma's nigella seed garnish, plus fresh curry leaves in place of basil.
The result could only be made heartier and more warming with the addition of a good glass of wine. Few wines feel better-suited to the temperature than a good, southern Italian Primitivo and Antica Enotria’s Vriccio Primitivo is a beautiful example. It’s as big and complex as you’d want in early January, but it’s also ripe with sweet plum and sloe berry notes, plus baking spices and plush tannins in the finish.
A wine like this loves a tomato-based dish, and it indeed is an ideal complement here. All you need then is a blanket, a perch on the sofa and a roaring fire to complete the scene.
Indian-Style Aubergine Parmesan
Adapted from Nik Sharma
Serves 6-8
For the aubergine parmesan:
4 medium aubergines (approx. 1.1 kg)
Flaky sea salt, such as Maldon
Vegetable oil
400g low-moisture or pre-grated mozzarella
15g finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
For the tomato sauce:
2-3 tablespoons ghee or vegetable oil
2 medium onions, finely diced
Fine sea salt
8 cloves garlic, minced
1 2-inch piece ginger, minced
2 bird’s-eye chillis, minced
1 ½ teaspoons garam masala
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon cumin
¼ teaspoon Kashmiri chilli powder
2 400g tins chopped tomatoes
1-2 teaspoons caster sugar
For the tadka garnish:
1-2 tablespoons ghee or vegetable oil
1 tablespoon nigella seeds
15-20 fresh curry leaves
1. First, prep the aubergines. Remove the stems, then use a sharp knife to cut lengthwise into 1cm-thick slices. Arrange in a single layer across two cutting boards. Season both sides of the aubergine slices with flaky sea salt and set aside for 30 minutes – this process helps season the aubergines, and also draws out excess moisture.
2. Meanwhile, prepare the tomato sauce. Add the ghee or vegetable oil to a medium saucepan and place over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the onions and turn the heat down to medium; season well with salt. Cook for 5-6 minutes, stirring frequently, or until translucent. Next, add the garlic, ginger, and bird’s-eye chillis. Cook for 2-3 minutes more, stirring frequently, or until they’ve lost their raw smell.
3. Next, add all the spices, stirring and cooking for 1 minute, or until fragrant. Dump in the chopped tomatoes. Raise the heat to high, or until the sauce begins to boil; then turn down to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes more. Taste, and add 1-2 teaspoons of caster sugar, plus any additional salt, if needed. Remove from the heat and set aside.
4. Preheat the oven to 220°C. Line two large baking trays with baking paper. Using a sheet or two of paper towel, gently press and soak up any released moisture from the aubergine slices. Transfer them to the baking trays, arranging in a single layer. Lightly drizzle with vegetable oil, flipping the slices to ensure they’re oiled on both sides. Roast for 20-30 minutes, rotating the trays halfway through, or until the aubergines are golden-brown. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.
5. While the aubergines roast, prepare the other components. Using your food processor or a box grater, grate the mozzarella (if not pre-grated). Next, use a microplane grater to finely grate the Parmigiano-Reggiano.
6. Meanwhile, lightly grease a large casserole dish (I used a roughly 20cm x 30.5cm Pyrex dish). When the aubergine is cool enough to handle, create a base layer using ⅓ of the aubergine slices; top with ⅓ of the tomato sauce (using a ladle to help spread it evenly), and then ⅓ of the grated mozzarella.
7. Repeat this process, using the remaining ingredients, ultimately creating three layers. Sprinkle the grated Parmigiano-Reggiano evenly over the top layer of mozzarella. 8. Lower the oven heat to 200°C. Transfer the aubergine parmesan to the oven. Roast for 25 minutes; remove from the oven and spoon out any excess liquid from the corners if needed. Rotate and roast for 20 minutes more. If you notice the cheese browning before it’s done roasting, loosely tent with foil.
9. After 45 minutes total, remove the aubergine parmesan from the oven and leave to cool for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare the tadka garnish. Add the oil or ghee to a small frying pan; once hot, add the nigella seeds and curry leaves. Toast for roughly 1 minute, or until fragrant and the seeds start popping. Remove from the heat and pour over the aubergine parmesan.
10. To serve, cut into rough squares and divide between plates or bowls.
Claire M Bullen is a professional food and travel writer and all-around lover of tasty things. You can follow her at @clairembullen. For more recipes like this, sign up to our Natural Wine Killers wine subscription - you'll receive Claire's recipe and food pairings plus expert tasting notes for three amazing wines like this one every month (or two, if you choose our bi-monthly option).
