Mexican Eggplant “Parmesan”

Ingredients

Eggplant

  • 1 1/2 pounds medium eggplants cut crosswise into 1/3-inch-thick rounds
  • 2 1/4 teaspoon salt, divided

Chocolate Marinara

  • 1 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 1 tablespoon minced garlic
  • 4 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 can tomato sauce (29 fl. oz.)
  • 3/4 cup chicken broth
  • 1 tablespoon Nielsen-Massey Pure Chocolate Extract 
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Breading

  • 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 5 large eggs
  • 2 cups panko bread crumbs
  • 1 cup grated Cotija or Parmesan cheese, divided
  • 2 cups shredded Mexican Blend Cheese

Directions

Eggplant

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Toss eggplant with 2 teaspoons salt in a colander set over a bowl. The salt will bring out the water in the eggplant. Let the water drip into the bowl for 30 minutes. Rinse the eggplant and pat dry with paper towel. Discard water.

Chocolate Marinara

In a medium saucepan, add 2 tablespoons oil and cook over medium heat until hot. Stir in garlic, chili powder, cumin and cinnamon. Cook and stir mixture until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add tomato sauce and broth; stir to combine. Increase heat to medium-high and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook for 15 minutes or until flavors blend and sauce has thickened. Stir in Chocolate Extract.

Breading

In a shallow bowl, add flour and set aside. In a second shallow bowl, add eggs and lightly beat; set aside. In a third shallow bowl, stir together panko and 1/2 cup Cojita cheese; set aside. Coat eggplant slices with flour and then transfer to beaten eggs. Shake off excess egg and place on breadcrumbs. Gently press breadcrumbs onto eggplant slices.

In a deep 12-inch nonstick skillet, heat remaining 1 1/2 cups oil over moderately high heat until hot, but not smoking. Fry eggplant 4 slices at a time, until golden brown (turning over once), about 5 to 6 minutes per batch. Transfer with tongs to paper towels to drain.

Assembly

In a 9×13 inch baking dish, spread 1 cup tomato sauce to the bottom. Arrange about one third of eggplant slices in 1 layer over sauce, overlapping slightly if necessary. Cover eggplant with about one third of remaining sauce (about 1 1/4 cups) and one third of Mexican cheese blend. Continue layering with remaining eggplant, sauce and cheese blend. Sprinkle top with remaining 1/2 cup Cojita cheese.

Bake eggplant, uncovered, until cheese has melted and is golden in color, and the sauce is bubbling, about 15 to 20 minutes.

Eggplant

  • 680 grams medium eggplants cut crosswise into 0.8-centimeter-thick rounds
  • 2 1/4 teaspoon salt, divided

Chocolate Marinara

  • 350 ml plus 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 1 tablespoon minced garlic
  • 4 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 can tomato sauce (860 ml)
  • 180 ml chicken broth
  • 1 tablespoon Nielsen-Massey Pure Chocolate Extract 
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Breading

  • 95 grams all-purpose flour
  • 5 large eggs
  • 220 grams panko bread crumbs
  • 85 grams grated Cotija or Parmesan cheese, divided
  • 170 grams shredded Mexican Blend Cheese

Directions

Eggplant

Preheat oven to 180 degrees C.

Toss eggplant with 2 teaspoons salt in a colander set over a bowl. The salt will bring out the water in the eggplant. Let the water drip into the bowl for 30 minutes. Rinse the eggplant and pat dry with paper towel. Discard water.

Chocolate Marinara

In a medium saucepan, add 2 tablespoons oil and cook over medium heat until hot. Stir in garlic, chili powder, cumin and cinnamon. Cook and stir mixture until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add tomato sauce and broth; stir to combine. Increase heat to medium-high and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook for 15 minutes or until flavors blend and sauce has thickened. Stir in Chocolate Extract.\

Breading

In a shallow bowl, add flour and set aside. In a second shallow bowl, add eggs and lightly beat; set aside. In a third shallow bowl, stir together panko and 43 grams Cojita cheese; set aside. Coat eggplant slices with flour and then transfer to beaten eggs. Shake off excess egg and place on breadcrumbs. Gently press breadcrumbs onto eggplant slices.

In a deep 30-centimeter nonstick skillet, heat remaining 350 ml oil over moderately high heat until hot, but not smoking. Fry eggplant 4 slices at a time, until golden brown (turning over once), about 5 to 6 minutes per batch. Transfer with tongs to paper towels to drain.

Assembly

In a 23×33 cm baking dish, spread 240 ml tomato sauce to the bottom. Arrange about one third of eggplant slices in 1 layer over sauce, overlapping slightly if necessary. Cover eggplant with about one third of remaining sauce (about 300 ml) and one third of Mexican cheese blend. Continue layering with remaining eggplant, sauce and cheese blend. Sprinkle top with remaining 43 grams Cojita cheese.

Bake eggplant, uncovered, until cheese has melted and is golden in color, and the sauce is bubbling, about 15 to 20 minutes.

  • Nielsen-Massey time icon

    1hrprep

  • Nielsen-Massey time icon

    15 mincook

  • Nielsen-Massey yield icon

    12servings

This Recipe Uses

Pure Chocolate Extract 4oz

Pure Chocolate Extract