2 tablespoons melted ghee or oil, plus more for greasing the baking dish
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon nigella seeds
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes, such as Aleppo
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Kosher salt
1(14-ounce) can crushed or diced tomatoes
4 garlic cloves, peeled and grated
2 tablespoons bread crumbs
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan
Directions:
Heat oven to 425 degrees. Slice the eggplants ¼-inch thick, discarding the tops. Peel the potatoes or leave the skins on, and slice the potatoes ¼-inch thick. Place the eggplant and potatoes in a large bowl and drizzle with the ghee. Toss with cumin, nigella, red-pepper flakes, cinnamon and 1 teaspoon salt.
Lightly grease a 9-by-9-inch baking dish or similarly sized gratin dish with ghee, and place the gratin dish on a baking sheet.
Add the tomatoes and garlic to the baking dish, season with salt and toss to combine. Arrange the eggplant and potato slices on top, alternating between the two vegetables.
In a small bowl, mix the bread crumbs and Parmesan. Sprinkle the mixture over the sliced vegetables.
Cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover, and bake for another 15 to 20 minutes, until the top turns golden brown. Let the dish cool for 5 minutes before serving.
