Baked Eggplant and Cheese Casserole (Khorak Bademjan va Panir)

Place the chopped eggplant in a colander or shallow dish, sprinkle lightly with salt, and let rest for 15 minutes to draw out excess moisture. Rinse lightly if very salty, then pat completely dry.

Preheat the oven to 175°C (350°F). Lightly grease a medium baking dish with olive oil.

In a blender, combine the peeled tomatoes, garlic, about 1/3 cup olive oil, salt, and black pepper. Blend until smooth and set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk the eggs until well blended. Add the flour and breadcrumbs, stirring until a thick, cohesive batter forms.

Add the eggplant pieces to the batter and gently fold to coat. Mix in most of the tomato sauce, the basil leaves, mozzarella, and Parmesan cheese, reserving a small amount of sauce for serving.

Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish and spread evenly.

Bake for about 30 minutes, or until the casserole is set in the center and the top is lightly golden.

Remove from the oven and let rest for 10 minutes to firm up before serving.

Serve warm, spooning the reserved tomato sauce over the top just before serving.