Italian Baked Rice with Eggplant | With Creamy Mozzarella

Preheat the oven to 200 °C (180 °C fan). Wash and pat dry the eggplants, then cut them into 1.5–2 cm cubes. Finely chop the onion, and crush or mince the garlic.

Heat 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil in a large frying pan. Add the diced eggplant, season with a pinch of salt and pepper, and sauté over medium-high heat for 8–10 minutes until golden brown and tender. Transfer to a bowl.

Pour another 2 tablespoons of olive oil into the same pan, sauté the finely chopped onion for 3–4 minutes, then add the garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.