Yessss..... you heard it right.. rather you read it right - Eggplant Pizza. An awesome combination of grilled eggplants with a hearty tomato sauce and loads of cheese.
Saturday was total touristy day. We went pedal boating at the lake full Maine Pyar Kiya style singing Dil Deewana... Only the yellow shirt and saree were missing. We almost trekked up to Doddabetta after deciding to park the car pretty low. The hour long traffic jam on our way back was a blessing in disguise, it gave me plenty of time to stock up on fresh vegetables that was being sold on the street side. Expect a yummy salad recipe soon :)
Next stop was Botanical gardens - it looked like a fair was going on, I think there were at least 200+ ppl in there. Rain interrupted our sight seeing and sent every one running for covers.
But before that, we managed to get a few clicks...
Let's get back to the blog post - Eggplant Pizza.
It did not really start off as it ended up eventually… Sis has been after me to make Eggplant Parmigiana for her after she read the recipe somewhere…
On the day she enjoyed her pot luck, I thought I would make it and use hubby dearest as the guinea pig. But I don’t know if the lords of food listened or turned a blind ear to me, I could not find fresh basil or parmesan anywhere nearby. So I decided to go with dry basil and use the processed cheese I had at home. Instead of making the layered parmigiana, I settled for individual starter sized pizzas.
They are so easy to make. They cut out the calories of the carb filled bread and add freshness to the food - plus they take so little time to make with so few ingredients. And if you skip the semolina, it is gluten free too.
Pizza made with Eggplant as the base and topped with homemade tomato basil sauce and cheese.
Recipe Type: Snacks
Cuisine: Italian
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 45 minutes
Yield: 7-8 Pizzas
Ingredients:
1 large Eggplant /Bharta baingan
2-3 Tomato
1 Onion
2 cloves Garlic
1 tsp dry Oregano
1 tsp dry Basil
1 tsp Pepper powder
2-3 Tbsp Olive oil
½ cup Cheese(grated)
2-3 Tbsp Semolina / Bread crumbs (Optional)
Salt
Method:
Slice the eggplant into 1cm thick slices and grill on a hot tava/griddle with litte oil until they are soft and done.
Heat 2 tbsp of olive oil in a kadhai and add chopped onion, garlic and oregano. Fry until the onions are translucent.
Remove the seeds of the tomato and chop the tomatoes. Add this to the kadhai and cover and cook on low flame for 12-15 mins.
Add salt, pepper and basil and fry for another 2-3 mins.
Allow it to cool and then blend into a fine sauce.
Preheat the over to 180 degrees Celsius.
Place the eggplants on a baking sheet, spread the sauce on them.
Add the grated cheese.
Mix 1/2 tsp of oil with the semolina and sprinkle on top of the eggplant. This step can be skipped.
Bake until the cheese melts or for 10-12 mins.
And guess where am I blogging from? Ooty - the queen of hills. We've been holidaying here over the long labor day weekend. After the heat and thunderstorms of Bangalore, we needed a good weather break. And Ooty lived up to its promise, ah! what weather. Mild sunlight with a slightly chilly air. Perfect!!! This is how summers should be.
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| Ooty from Doddabetta |
We started early on 1st and reached here after a 7 hour long fueled by some healthy Med Veg sandwiches and packets of processed junk food. What fun is a road trip without loads of food, right?
We are staying at the Willow Hill on Havelock road - the hotel is high up on the hill and offers some beautiful views.
On friday evening, as we went to the market to stock up on some homemade Ooty chocolate - dark with nuts, rum & raisins, fruit and nuts etc etc, we also made it a point to eat at the Sidewalk Cafe (it featured on Highway On My Plate - I absolutely love the show). We had french fries and a Chettinad pizza. The place did not live up to its expectations :( I was not so fond of their food.
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| On the way from Doddabetta |
Saturday was total touristy day. We went pedal boating at the lake full Maine Pyar Kiya style singing Dil Deewana... Only the yellow shirt and saree were missing. We almost trekked up to Doddabetta after deciding to park the car pretty low. The hour long traffic jam on our way back was a blessing in disguise, it gave me plenty of time to stock up on fresh vegetables that was being sold on the street side. Expect a yummy salad recipe soon :)
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| Fresh vegetables on the roadside |
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| India Map at Botanical Garden |
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| Beautiful flowers at Botanical Garden |
Let's get back to the blog post - Eggplant Pizza.
It did not really start off as it ended up eventually… Sis has been after me to make Eggplant Parmigiana for her after she read the recipe somewhere…
 |
| Grill the Eggplant Slices |
On the day she enjoyed her pot luck, I thought I would make it and use hubby dearest as the guinea pig. But I don’t know if the lords of food listened or turned a blind ear to me, I could not find fresh basil or parmesan anywhere nearby. So I decided to go with dry basil and use the processed cheese I had at home. Instead of making the layered parmigiana, I settled for individual starter sized pizzas.
 |
| Spread the sauce |
They are so easy to make. They cut out the calories of the carb filled bread and add freshness to the food - plus they take so little time to make with so few ingredients. And if you skip the semolina, it is gluten free too.
 |
| Oooo... cheesy |
Eggplant Pizza
Pizza made with Eggplant as the base and topped with homemade tomato basil sauce and cheese.
Recipe Type: Snacks
Cuisine: Italian
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 45 minutes
Yield: 7-8 Pizzas
Ingredients:
1 large Eggplant /Bharta baingan
2-3 Tomato
1 Onion
2 cloves Garlic
1 tsp dry Oregano
1 tsp dry Basil
1 tsp Pepper powder
2-3 Tbsp Olive oil
½ cup Cheese(grated)
2-3 Tbsp Semolina / Bread crumbs (Optional)
Salt
Method:
Slice the eggplant into 1cm thick slices and grill on a hot tava/griddle with litte oil until they are soft and done.
Heat 2 tbsp of olive oil in a kadhai and add chopped onion, garlic and oregano. Fry until the onions are translucent.
Remove the seeds of the tomato and chop the tomatoes. Add this to the kadhai and cover and cook on low flame for 12-15 mins.
Add salt, pepper and basil and fry for another 2-3 mins.
Allow it to cool and then blend into a fine sauce.
Preheat the over to 180 degrees Celsius.
Place the eggplants on a baking sheet, spread the sauce on them.
Add the grated cheese.
Mix 1/2 tsp of oil with the semolina and sprinkle on top of the eggplant. This step can be skipped.
Bake until the cheese melts or for 10-12 mins.
Thanks for such a nice blog post. That's great you are blogging from Ooty, the Queen of hill stations, Ooty is a picturesque little town amidst serene lakes, lofty mountains and sprawling grasslands. For travellers accommodation, one can check out Rainbow Cottages Ooty, a great budget option.
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