Baked Aubergine Slices or Brinjal Melts (7 Ingredients + Gluten Free)

 

This one-pan dish is a welcome respite from a day that has seen too much eating. Or a day that was set aside for cleansing and you need a light dinner to top it off.

This simple dish uses only 7 ingredients, and is perfect whether eaten by itself or along with couscous and a salad or vegetables. Armed with a knife, a cutting board and a baking dish, you’re all set to make a very simple meal or side.

 

Did I mention that it’s also gluten free? It is. Yay! Smooth sailing through the night.

Moist inside and crispy on the outside, these little baked buggers melt in your mouth, leaving behind a heady, almost meaty backnote.

The aubergine, or brinjal — as it is commonly known in India — is the king of vegetables. Rightly so, as it is unbelievably flavourful and versatile — perfectly blending in with spices and herbs. (It is scientifically a fruit, though, like tomatoes.) I will share a host of them in the upcoming posts.

Here you go.

Baked Aubergine Slices or Brinjal Melt (7 Ingredients + Gluten Free)

Ingredients

• 1 medium sized aubergine, sliced (.5 to 1 cm thick)
• 1 medium sized tomato, sliced thin
• 1 tablespoon of chopped fresh dill leaves (or dried)
• 2 tablespoons shredded mozzarella and cheddar cheese (you could use either one)
• 1 + 1/2 teaspoons olive oil
• 4 pinches ground pepper (or 1/2 pinch ground pepper per aubergine)
• Salt, to taste

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 180ºC (356ºF).
2. Drizzle a teaspoon of olive oil onto a baking pan and swirl it around so that the oil evenly coats the pan.
3. Lay out the aubergine slices on the pan, then lay the tomato slices on each of the aubergine slices. Place a small amount of dill leaves in the middle of each tomato, and then sprinkle cheese on top of all that.
4. Sprinkle salt and pepper over each colourful slice. Drizzle 1/2 teaspoon olive oil over all the slices.
5. Bake for 18 minutes, or until you see that all the cheese has melted and the aubergines have taken on a golden glaze.

Serving: Eat this dish on its own. If very hungry, pair it with couscous and baked vegetables.