Lasagna - Veggie Version..

Residing in Bahrain, we always have a challenge of finding veg food.. of course there are options but surely not ample.. and finding a veg lasagna .. far fetcheddd... thus, the decision of trying one at home.. and after reading a dozen recipes and an average experiment.. finally I succeeded ..

Also, this version is low on cheese..Arunesh is health conscious and thus, I decided to use our Indian version of cheese.. PANEER or Cottage Cheese.. Thou I did use Cheddar for garnish ;)

Sharing the version of my VEGETABLE LASAGNA with you... It surprised me.. and I am sure it ll surprise you too once u try it... it was simply yumm...

Ingredients (for a big dish)
Lasagna Sheets - 6 (I had rectangular ones)
Onions - 1 cup (finely chopped)
Garlic - 1 teaspoon (finely chopped)
Babycorn - 1 cup (diced)
Broccoli - 1 cup (small florets)
Mushroom - 2 cups (sliced)
Tomato - 2 cups (diced)
Tomato Ketchup - 1 cup
Cottage Cheese/ Fresh Paneer - 200 grams (crumbled)
White Flour - 2 Tablespoons
Milk - 2 cups
Parmesan Cheese - 2 Tablespoons
Salt
Black Pepper
Oregano
Red Chili Flakes
Butter
Olive Oil
Cheddar Cheese - for garnish (grated)
Mint Chutney - 2 Tablespoon (Optional)

Cooking
We need to prepare each layer for the lasagna and compile in the end before baking.. our layers would be: Lasagna Sheets, Vegetables, Paneer, White Sauce.

For the Vegetables: Heat a little Olive Oil in a non-stick pan. Add Garlic and Onions. Fry till Onions are translucent. Add Babycorn and cook for 2-3 minutes. Next, add Broccoli and let it cook for another 2-3 minutes. Then, add the Mushrooms and Tomatoes along with some salt and let it cook. Once the vegetables are tender, add Tomato Ketchup and mix well. Adjust the spice levels with pepper, chili flakes and salt.

For the White Sauce: Heat 2 tablespoons of Butter in a non-stick pan. Add White Flour and roast on high heat till it becomes brown. Add 2 cups of milk and stir continuously (this shall help in avoiding lumps) Once the mixture boils and starts to thicken, add Parmesan, Salt, Pepper and Oregano. Remove from heat and keep aside.

For Lasagna Sheets: There are 2 kinds of sheets available in the market - those which can be used raw and shall cook while baking & those which need to be cooked before layering. Please follow the instructions given on your box. I used the ones that had to be cooked in salted boiling water for 8-9 minutes.

For Paneer: Crumble the Cottage Cheese/ Paneer finely with hands. Add 2 Tablespoons of Mint Chutney (Mint Leaves blended with salt, green chili and little water) and mix well. This will add a minty flavor to the Paneer. However, this step isn't necessary - you could use plain Paneer instead.

Layering: Take a square baking dish and brush Olive Oil on the base and the sides. Cover the base with Lasagna Sheets (cooked in my case) Pour a layer of Vegetables. Sprinkle crumbled Paneer and then pour a layer of White Sauce. Repeat this layering another time (White Sauce being the final layer) and finally garnish with grated Cheddar Cheese.

Bake in a pre-heated oven for 20-30 mins at 350 F (or till the cheese becomes brown)

Serve piping hot... and I assure you ll keep going back for another bite :))


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