Vegan Baked Eggplant / Baingan with Herbs

Weather is so gloomy around here these days and all I can think of is comfort food... fried goodness, a comforting bowl of hot soup and the list goes on. But I am much more concerned about calories when I cook our everyday meals. And our menu changed from deep fried to baked crispness. Herbed Eggplant with an onion flavor, steamed broccoli and a hearty Vegan Minestrone Soup. It was more like an Italian meal, with very few carbohydrates.

Ingredients:
Eggplant/Brinjal/Baingan/Vangi - 1 big
Dry Italian Herb Seasoning - 1 1/2 tsp
Black Pepper Powder - 1 tsp
Red Chili Powder - 1/2 tsp
Italian Seasoned Panko Bread Crumbs - 2 cups
French Fried Onions - 1 cup
Cooking Spray or Oil
Salt

How to bake Crisp Eggplant in an oven:

• Dice the eggplant into medium thick round slices. In a mixing bowl, add herb seasoning, fresh ground black pepper, red chili powder and salt. Toss the eggplant slices so that the slices are coated well. Cover and set it aside for about 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven at 375 degrees F. Grease a baking tray with cooking spray or oil.
• On a big plate, add the fried onions and crush them with your hands. Also, add the bread crumbs and mix well.
• If you are using plain bread crumbs, add 1 tsp dry Italian Herb Seasoning to the bread crumbs as well.
• After 30 minutes, the eggplant slices will turn slightly moist. Mix again. Coat the eggplant slices in the bread crumbs and fried onions. Place them on the greased baking tray and apply some more cooking spray.
• If time permits, refrigerate the tray for about 30 minutes.
• Bake for about 10 minutes and flip the eggplant slices. Spray some more oil if required. Bake for another 7 minutes or until the eggplant is cooked. Check with a spatula if eggplant has turned soft and cooked.
• If you don't like bread crumbs, take a look at Semolina Coated Shallow Fried Eggplant.
  

Serve Crunchy Onion flavored Eggplant with a dip of your choice.