Ingredients:
3 eggplants, medium-sized
1 + 1 teaspoons of salt, divided
4 tablespoons of olive oil, divided
5 grams of dried ginger
Oregano, to taste
3 cloves of garlic, divided
Black pepper, to taste
150 ml tomato puree
Paprika, to taste
Basil, to taste
100 grams of cheese, grated (preferably a mix of mozzarella and parmesan)
Breadcrumbs, for coating
Instructions:
Preheat your oven to 200°C (390°F).
Slice the eggplants into approximately 1 cm thick rings. Place the slices in a large bowl.
Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of salt over the eggplant slices, toss to coat evenly, and let them sit for 10 minutes to draw out moisture.
After 10 minutes, rinse the eggplant slices to remove excess salt and pat them dry with paper towels.
In a small bowl, combine 3 tablespoons of olive oil with the dried ginger, a generous pinch of oregano, 1 finely grated clove of garlic, a pinch of salt, and black pepper to taste. Stir to form a marinade.
Brush a baking sheet with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and arrange the eggplant slices in a single layer.
Brush the eggplant slices with the prepared olive oil and ginger marinade.
Bake the eggplant slices in the preheated oven for 20 minutes, or until tender and starting to brown.
While the eggplants are baking, prepare the tomato sauce. In a medium bowl, mix together the tomato puree, 1 tablespoon of olive oil, paprika, basil, 2 finely grated cloves of garlic, and salt and pepper to taste.
Once the eggplants are done, remove them from the oven and let them cool slightly.
Spread a thin layer of the tomato sauce on each eggplant slice, sprinkle with a touch of cumin (optional), and roll them up.
Grease a second baking sheet with olive oil and sprinkle with breadcrumbs.
Place the rolled eggplants seam-side down on the prepared baking sheet.
Top the eggplant rolls with the remaining tomato sauce, a generous amount of grated cheese, and a sprinkle of breadcrumbs.
Bake in the oven for another 20 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and bubbly, and the breadcrumbs are golden brown.
Serve the baked eggplant parmesan rolls hot, garnished with fresh basil leaves or parsley if desired.