Eggplant Rolls in Tomato Sauce
Juicy, tasty and (super) budget friendly.
This delicious vegan dish is one of my favourite mid-week cozy dinners. I love the juicy eggplant rolls in tomato sauce with caramelised onions. The chickpeas and zucchini pieces in the sauce also bring another layer of texture and taste to the dish. You’ll be surprised how filling a vegan dish can be!
Ingredients
2 eggplants
1 zucchini (minced)
1 can of chickpeas (strained)
1 jar/ 380ml of tomato sauce (Barilla Basilico is my favourite)
1/2 onion (cut lengthways)
2 garlic cloves
Handful of baby tomatoes
Spices: Paprika & mixed herbs
Method
SEASON the zucchini pieces and chickpeas with olive oil, paprika and mixed herbs in a bowl.
BAKE the zucchini and chickpeas in the oven for 30 minutes at 180 degrees.
SLICE the eggplants lengthways into pieces around 2cm thick.
GRILL the eggplant pieces in a pan on medium to high heat with olive oil. Around 3 minutes each side, enough to see the grill marks.
SAUTEE the baby tomatoes in a large pan with onion, garlic and olive oil. Cook until the baby tomatoes are blistering.
ADD the tomato sauce into the pan with the baby tomatoes, keep on low to medium heat. Mix the sauce in and then add the baked zucchini pieces and chickpeas.
ROLL the eggplant pieces and place them into the sauce. Let it soak up the juices for around 10 minutes.
GARNISH with fresh parsley and serve warm.
Tips:
Cut your eggplant pieces like the thickness of grilled eggplant you find in a sandwich. Not too thin and not too thick, it will be easier to grill and roll up.
Optional to add some paprika and mixed herbs to your eggplants before grilling.
Keep the pan on low heat before serving. Just make sure the sauce at the bottom doesn’t dry up.