I have always loved eggplant parmesan. I have made it many times, but perfected it last year when I was pregnant and trying to go into labor.
I was two weeks past due and was told eggplant can help induce labor. A friend of mine that had a similar due date was also late and sent over a recipe for eggplant parmesan. I of course couldn’t use this recipe full of cheese, but I did make my own vegan version that will always remind me of those times. Back then I had plenty of time to throw myself into my cooking.
It has become a favorite for my fiancé, so I often make this for special occasions. I make these fried eggplants in stacks rather than a casserole. I find that they stay nice and crispy this way and also hold well as left-overs!
Instead of using egg as a part of the breading, I use aquafaba and a splash of non-dairy milk and whip it up ’til it’s nice and frothy. Aquafaba is the liquid from a can of chickpeas. You can usually get out about 1/2 cup of liquid from one can of chickpeas. This stuff is magic. It gets nice and frothy, and it is great for breading. I find that using aquafaba makes my breading a little lighter and it fries up a little nicer. You can find out more about aquafaba in my “Vegan Essentials” section.
I also don’t drench these in marinara. I like to keep the eggplant crispy! To do this, I put just a bit on each layer and reserve the rest to toss in with cooked spaghetti and a bit of butter. I find that it is the perfect compliment! I make my own Classic Marinara Sauce for this recipe as well. It is a super simple straight forward sauce to make, but if you’d like to save time, just buy your own favorite store-bought vegan marinara. My recipe makes enough to serve four, so if you like a lot of sauce I recommend that you double the recipe!
You can use store bought vegan parmesan and mozzarella in this recipe or make your own! I find that it works well both ways. I usually always have homemade cashew parmesan in my fridge, and I also really enjoy Daiya’s new mozzarella cheese made with chickpeas! It’s fantastic! Highly recommend! For this recipe however, I made both the mozzarella and the parmesan. Here is a link for my own Vegan Cashew Parmesan. For the homemade mozzarella, I used Nora Cook’s recipe for Easy Stretchy Vegan Mozzarella Cheese.
I hope that you give this a try for a special occasion or just for any night of the week because it truly is the best. This recipe feeds about four people depending on how hungry you are. Also it is easy to double! It is a “veganized” Italian classic that will not leave you missing it’s cheesy origins. Let me know how you like it in the comments below!
Ingredients:
- 1 medium/large eggplant
- 1 cup all purpose flour (seasoned with 1/2 tsp salt and pepper)
- 1/2 cup aquafaba
- 3 Tbs of non-dairy unsweetened milk
- 1 cup panko breadcrumbs (seasoned with 1/2 tsp salt)
- 1/2 cup of vegan parmesan cheese (to make your own see my Vegan Cashew Parmesan)
- 2 cups of peanut oil or another neutral oil with a “high smoke point”
- 3-4 cups of marinara sauce (here is a recipe for my Classic Marinara Sauce)
- Cooked spaghetti or angel hair on the side if you wish
Method:
- Start by slicing your eggplant into thin 1/4 inch thick slices parallel to the top and base of the plant. Once these are sliced, place your eggplant on a big baking sheet lined with paper towels. Generously salt these slices on front and back. Leave them sitting there salty for at least twenty minutes. This will let them sweat- releasing a lot of moisture and bitterness from the plant.
- While those are sweating, start your sauce if you are making it! I find that I love to make a homemade sauce. It is quite easy and satisfying, but if you have a favorite store-bought sauce go for it! This recipe will be just as delicious.
- Once you’ve got your sauce sorted out prepare your breading station. You should prepare three separate bowls near where you will be frying. One will have the seasoned all purpose flour mixture, one with have the aquafaba mix, and one will have the parmesan panko breadcrumbs.
- Once you have your breading station set up, take your sweaty eggplants and wipe it clean of the salt over a sink. I do not rinse these- some people do. I like them a little seasoned and find just wiping them clean works wonderfully for me. Just make sure that you wipe off all or most of the salt.
- Heat your oven to 425º F to prep for later baking. Once you get these frying, it comes together pretty fast.
- Heat the oil in a pan on medium-high heat. Once you think its ready to fry drop in a little panko, and see if it bubbles. If so, you are ready to go.
- In steps, dredge a piece of eggplant in the flour- cover completely and then shake off the excess. Place that dredged piece into the aquafaba and cover and let the excess drip off. Then place that into the panko-parmesan mix. Cover that completely and shake off the excess. Finally place in hot oil and fry. You will do this for each piece. It is also helpful to keep a wet and dry hand for frying.
- The frying usually takes about a couple of minutes per each side depending on how hot your oil is. Keep and eye on them. You want them to be a light golden brown.
- Drain these fried pieces on paper towels.
- When the frying is completed, you can start assembling.
- Place a small amount of marinara on the bottom of your baking dish. I use a large cast iron skillet. You could also use a baking dish. Both of these work great.
- Then place a single layer of the fried eggplant rounds at the bottom of the dish.
- Top the single layer with a little marinara and vegan mozzarella, then place another layer on top. I like to place my rounds directly on top of the previous layer to create little towers. This is optional, but I find that it makes for nice individual servings.
- Keep layering with the marinara and mozzarella until you are done with your eggplants. For the top layer I like to give the most generous amount of marinara and mozzarella.
- Place your dish in the oven to bake for 20-25 minutes until cheese is melty and bubbly.
- While that is baking I usually always have leftover marinara which I toss in with some spaghetti, butter and parmesan to serve this with yum!
- When your eggplant is done baking serve with spaghetti and enjoy!
