I’m really not sure how I’ve grown to love brinjal or egg plant this much in recent years when it used to be something I hated and just refused to eat (like lady’s fingers or okra which I still dislike!). I think my palates changed when I started having brinjal from Hup Chong Hakka Yong Dou Foo (one of my all time favourite yong tau foo places in Toa Payoh). Definitely an acquired taste for me but it wasn’t too bad after all. I began cooking with brinjal or egg plant quite regularly at home. Used them in steamboats, soups and stir fries with sambal chilli. And this time, I attempted to make a cheesy bake with egg plants as I had a big bag of cheddar cheese to use up. Taste wise, it turned out better than I expected (well, cheese never goes wrong!) though I would like its appearance to be a bit more colourful next time. Red and green peppers should do the trick!
Oven Baked Egg Plant with Cheese Recipe
Ingredients (serves 2)
1 egg plant or small brinjal, sliced 1/2″ thick
1 tomato, finely diced
handful of grated cheddar cheese
salt & freshly cracked black pepper
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 180 deg C with fan. Lightly grease an oven dish with cooking spray.
2. Heat a little olive oil in pan and pan-fry the egg plant slices till they are slightly tender on both sides.
3. Transfer the egg plant slices to the oven dish and arrange in one single layer.
4. Spread the diced tomatoes over the egg plant slices, season with salt and pepper and top with cheddar cheese.
5. Bake in oven for 15-20 minutes till cheese melts and turns golden brown.