Baked veggie and egg casserole

This is a perfect dish for those lazy winter afternoons or dinners. The veggies and greens are completely up to your choice. The dish can be easily made eggless as the only eggs i added are on the top towards the last 6 minutes of the bake. Skip this and you have a vegetarian friendly filling dish.

Ingredients:

Tomato sauce:

• 4-5 big Finely chopped ripe tomatoes

• 1 small finely chopped onion

• 5-6 Garlic cloves minced

• 1 cm Ginger minced

• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds

• 1 teaspoon chilli powder

• 1 teaspoon tumeric powder

• salt to taste

• 1-2 spoons cooking oil

• a sprig of corriander greens

For layers:

• Blanched green leafy veggies of choice - spinach, fenugreek, spring onion

• Tomato sauce

• any melting cheese - mozzarella, Cheddar

• Sauteed mixed veggies - red, yellow, green capsicums sauteed in a shallow pan with a little oil and seasoned with salt and pepper

• 0.5 cup finely diced paneer - can be marinated with some spices for added flavour

• 2 eggs optional

Method:

Tomato Sauce

1. To make the tomato sauce, add oil in a pan, add cumin sesds till they crackle, saute onion, garlic and ginger till they appear about half done

2. Add chopped tomatoes

3. Cook covered for about 8 mins, stirring intermittently

4. Add the spices and mix in, cook for another 1-2 mins on low flame

5. Add coriander

6. Cook till medium dry consistency, we do not want a runny sauce

Layering

1. In a glass or heavy china baking dish, layer the various ingredients in alternating fashion - tomato sauce, greens, sauteed veggies, paneer and cheese such that you atleast have 2 layers of each through the depth of the pan. Skip the cheese for final bake

2. Bake in preheated oven for about 15 min

3. Add grated cheese on top to cover whole dish and bake for 5 mins or until cheese melts

4. Break 2 eggs on the dish and bake for another 5-8 mins depending on if you prefer the egg yolks runny or done completely

5. Take out of oven and serve with warm bread slices