Eggplant and lentil tomato bake

Ingredients

• Eggplant (raw)450g
• Red lentils (dry)140g
• Canned tomatoes (canned)400g
• Onions (raw)100g
• Garlic (raw)8g
• Recipe water (raw)400ml
• Plain bread (cooked)120g
• Olive oil (raw)15ml
• Salt (dry)3g
• Black pepper (dry)1g

Method

1. Heat the oven to 210°C. Slice 450g eggplant lengthways 1cm thick. Brush with 15ml olive oil, season with 1g black pepper and lay in one layer. Roast for 20–25 minutes, turning once, until the centres collapse when pressed; firm white flesh needs more time.
2. Make this sauce while the eggplant roasts. Rinse 140g red lentils. Put in a pot with 400g canned tomatoes, 400ml recipe water, 3g salt, finely chopped 5mm 100g onions and minced 8g garlic. Simmer partly covered over medium-low heat for 25–30 minutes, stirring often, until lentils break down. Add processing water if catching; uncover to reduce until a spoon leaves a track.
3. Lower the oven to 190°C. Spoon the lentil sauce into a shallow baking dish no more than 4cm deep and layer eggplant on top. Bake for 10 minutes until bubbling at the centre. If liquid collects at the edges, bake uncovered for 5 minutes more.
4. Rest the bake for 5 minutes before spooning onto plates. Serve with 120g plain bread, toasted in a dry pan or the warm oven until the surface is crisp.
5. The displayed quantities already match your selected servings. For 1 or 2 servings, use a smaller pan and check early; keep the stated cut sizes. For 4 servings use a broad pan or uncrowded trays; for 8 split every ingredient evenly into two 4-serving batches (more if the pan or pot capacity requires it). Keep pans below 80% full and vegetables in one layer when browning. Repeat the cooking and doneness checks for each batch; elapsed time increases for sequential batches. Serve promptly. Cool any extra cooked food in shallow containers and refrigerate within two hours, or one hour above 32°C. Keep the fridge at 4°C or below. Reheat cooked leftovers evenly to 74°C, checking several places with a food thermometer. Keep raw garnishes and cold yogurt or tahini sauces separate and use them cold within their label limits.