The Ingredients
100g red lentils
1 teaspoon vegetable bouillon
2 small aubergines
4 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 red onion, finely chopped
1 red pepper, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1/4 cup tomato puree
1 x 14oz canned chopped, drained
A handful of chopped fresh parsley
White Sauce:
1 red onion, peeled and roughly sliced
500ml Dairy-Free almond milk
1½ tsp vegetable bouillon powder
1/2 cup brown rice flour
2 whole cloves
2 bay leaves
Salt and pepper to taste
Method
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 190 degrees C.
Start by cooking the lentils. Place in a pan and cover with boiling water, add in the teaspoon of vegetable bouillon. Bring to the boil and simmer. Add more water as needed. Once cooked (about 30 minutes), remove from the stove.
Meanwhile, slice the aubergine into thin rounds, toss in olive oil. Cook in a frying pan for 2-3 minutes on each side. Work in batches, transferring the cooked aubergine onto kitchen paper to get rid of excess oil.
Once the aubergine is done the pan should be empty. Now sautee the red pepper, red onion and garlic in a pan. When cooked add in the chopped tomatoes and continue to cook for a further 5 minutes. Add into the lentil mixture with the cooked aubergine and parsley. Put to the side.
For the white sauce, prepare the onion and chuck into a saucepan on medium-high heat. Pour in the almond milk and the water. Add the bouillon powder, cloves and bay leaves. Bring the mixture to the boil, then remove from the heat and set aside for 20 minutes. Remove the clove and bay leaves and place the pan back on the heat. Bring to the boil and add in the brown rice flour, stirring constantly until the mixture thickens to a smooth sauce. Season with salt and pepper.
Add the lentil mix into a deep cooking dish, cover with the white sauce and transfer to the oven to cook for 35-45 minutes until crisp on top.