Eggplant Pizza

EP 1

It is true when they say ‘when the cat is away, the mice play!’ Last week when the hubby was out on a work trip I finally got to bring home an eggplant. (If you think I’m a super exciting person and did something crazy wacky, you’re so mistaken! This is as crazy as I get!)The hubby HATES eggplant! I remember I caved once and got it anyway. I got the cook to make something really simple that evening. Out came hubby from his room making a dirty face.. ‘I can smell it!’ he said in disgust and then shut the room door behind him as he went back into the room. I never thought that I would miss eating brinjal. Every time my mother would make it at home, I would just consider it as one of those veggies that are on your ‘what-evvahhh’ list. Apparently as a kid, I was told by one of my friends that I would become dark if I eat eggplant. My mum tells me that I was petrified of eating the vegetable (wow! how vain was I as a kid!). My poor mother had to invent different ways of getting me to eat the vegetable. The fear, fortunately, died a natural death.

One weekday night, trying to eat healthy, while trying to pamper myself a bit, I made the eggplant pizza – the perfect balance of health food and indulgence. According to my research, each slice has just about 50-60 calories with minimal carbs. (Of course only if you do not go crazy with the cheese. Fortunately the surface area of the eggplant slice restricts that.)

Briefly…

..Ease: Extremely Easy! (Although it depends on how easy or difficult you want to make it. In principle it is super easy) ..
..Taste: Yummmzzzzz!!! (without the guilt might I add)
..Appearance: How can anything with melted cheese not look good?? *confused*
..Pros: Super easy and minimal dishes
..Cons: A bit messy while cooking and a little time consuming.
..Would I make it again: Yup! Perhaps this is the way to get the hubby to like eggplant.

What you will need

– One large eggplant
– 2 Tomatoes
– Mushrooms, Onions, Grilled Chicken (and any other topping you’d like on your pizza)
– Cheese (I use a mix of regular Amul/ Britania and Mozzeralla – for the taste and the stringiness)
– Seasoning to your liking

How to Make it

The Base
1. Cut the eggplant into quarter inch slices. Drizzle some olive oil, salt and pepper and rub it nicely on all the surfaces of the eggplant.
2. Line a baking tray with aluminum foil and place the eggplant slices in such a way that none of them are on top of each other. Each slice needs to cook separately.
3. Place the tray in a preheated oven for 25-30 mins occasionally checking on the slices. You will need to keep rotating them from time to time to ensure that it is cooked properly.

EP 2
The Pizza Base

The Topping
1. Tomato sauce: Blanch the tomatoes and puree them. (You can always use store bought pizza sauce, but we’re trying to be healthy here remember!)
2. In a fresh pan, melt some butter. Pour the puree and cook. Add seasoning according to taste and that’s it!

Assembly
1. Make sure you have your chicken, or any other topping you want ready before assembling. I used grilled chicken for my pizza.
2. Just as you’re assembling a pizza, first layer would be the tomato sauce, second layer your topping of choice and third the cheese. (I bought some dried mint recently and I end up putting that on almost everything. It gives such a lovely kick of minty flavour. That is the seasoning you see on the pizza in the picture.
3. Bake in the oven till the cheese is golden brown.

… and that’s it! Super duper simple!

Finally…

EP3

It is a pizza with a different base. Go crazy! Well… not completely since that will defeat the purpose. You are making this because you want to eat healthy. Let me know what you put on your pizza and what you thought of it!

4 Replies to “Eggplant Pizza”

  1. sometimes I think you and I should live together and cook up a storm (and of,course drink up lots of wine). Coz I went grocery shopping this weekend and bought baingan, wanting to NOT make bharta, but try something new. hahah… I was thinking grilled eggplant fillers for sandwiches (like how greeks, italians do) and you gave me another idea.. yay!

  2. Hahaha!!! We totally should do that.. the only side effect will be that we’ll become super fatties! But then I will drag you for a run or do the Zumba… and give each other hi fives… hahah!!!
    Try this and that. I would love to know how your fritters turn out.

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