Aubergine Lasagne

I have made several versions of Lasagna, but this is my best. The basic recipe is adapted from 'Cuisine à l'italienne' - Hachette publications.
It is a little long but so worth it!

Ingredients:

• 500 gms Aubergines
• 250 gms Green Capsicum
• 250 gms Onions
• 10-12 Garlic pods
• 100 ml olive oil
• 1 kg tomatoes
• Basil, oregano and Thym (dried)
• Milk
• 90 gm Flour
• 75 gm butter
• 1 tsp mustard powder
• 1 pinch nutmeg
• 600 ml milk
• 250 gm grated Parmesan or Cheddar (or Amul cheese in worst case scenario)
• 8-12 Lasagne sheets
• Salt and freshly ground pepper

HOW?

Vegetable Preparation

• Cut the Aubergines in thin slices and place them in a lightly greased baking dish. Cut the capsicum in about 1 inch wide strips and place them over the Aubergines. Cut the onions in about 1/2 inch strips and top the capsicum with it. Add the garlic pods on the top. Generously pour olive oil on the vegetables. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper.
• Cover the baking dish with silver foil and bake in preheated oven (200 degree Celsius) for about 30 minutes, till the aubergines are tender.

Tomato Sauce

• Blanche and peel the tomatoes. I keep the seeds but you can take the seeds out if you like. Cut them into small pieces and cook them in a big pot with half a cup red wine and a few drops of water.  I put Basil, Thyme and Oregano and salt in the last 10 minutes. Let it simmer for about 20-30 minutes on low flame. Towards the end add 1 tsp of flour dissolved in a little water to the sauce and simmer till it all begins to come together in a rich sauce. Keep aside.

Pasta Sheets

• Cook Pasta sheets in 2 litres of boiling water, 2 tbsp olive oil and salt till almost cooked. Immediately remove sheets from water and separate them on a tray. 

White Sauce

• Melt butter in a pan and add the remaining flour to it. Add the powdered mustard and nutmeg. Mix well and cook for 2 minutes. 
• Remove the pan from the fire and add the milk little by little, stirring continuously till it becomes a smooth mixture. 
• Put the pan back on fire and bring to boil while stirring continuously. Add half the cheese to this mixture and remove from fire once the cheese has melted.

 Layers

1. Put one layer of Aubergines, Capsicum and onions at the bottom of a lightly greased baking dish.
2. Pour tomato sauce generously over the vegetables. 
3. Place one layer of lasagna sheets over the vegetables and sauce and pour a thick layer of white sauce on the lasagna sheets.
4. Repeat all layers and sprinkle the top with left over cheese.
5. Put the baking dish in preheated to 200 C oven for 30 minutes. Once the cheese on top turns golden, remove from oven and serve immediately with lettuce salad.