Eggplant Parmigiana

Okay, when I first had this dish I was very skeptical. As I was not fond of this particular vegetable. But being a vegetarian I did not have any other option in an Italian restaurant. The waitress recommended it highly.
After taking the first bite, I was not able to put my fork down.
I have tried the same dish in many other Italian restaurants. All of them have different tastes. But they all are very very tasty to eat. After much searching I was able to get hold of the recipe.

Ingredients:

280 gms sliced eggplant peeled, cut lengthwise

Flour  

Pinch of salt and pepper

1 tbsp olive oil  

1 -2 tspns butter  

30 gms grated parmesan cheese  

100 gms grated mozzarella cheese  

1 cup tomato sauce

2-3 leaves basil leaves  

Few sprigs of oregano leaves  

Pinch of cracked black pepper

Fresh white breadcrumbs  

2-3 cloves garlic


Method:

Choose nice firm eggplants with a shiny flesh.

Trim the stem end of the eggplant and peel the eggplant.

Slice lengthwise into 3 cm slices and put them in a bowl with chilled salted water for 30
minutes. Drain and squeeze off excess moisture and pat dry.
Dredge the slices in seasoned flour.

Pat fry in a little olive oil and butter. Drain the excess oil.

Grate the parmesan and mozzarella cheese in a greased baking dish or cocotte, spoon a little tomato sauce at the bottom, lay the eggplant slices side by side. Sprinkle the grated cheeses, pinch of basil, oregano and cracked black pepper.

Repeat this over 3 layers.

Sprinkle the breadcrumbs, cheese, herbs and the butter.

Bake for 15 minutes at 180°c

Serve with crispy garlic bread and rocket salad.