These cheese-topped eggplant halves are a real treat for eggplant lovers. Cheesy, creamy, rich-tasting eggplant with none of that partially-raw flavour that eggplant can have at times. Using a pressure cooker speeds up the cooking time and helps ensure that the eggplant gets fully cooked.
Cut the eggplants in half lengthwise. Scoop or cut out the flesh, leaving about 1 cm (½ inch) on the inside of the skin.
Set in pressure cooker basket or on trivet; it's okay to stack them. Cook at low pressure for 5 minutes, natural release. Use recommended amount of water for your pressure cooker.
Meanwhile, prep the rest of the veg: chop up the eggplant innards, and prep the onion and celery.
When the eggplant shells are cooked, remove the shells from the pressure cooker and set aside. Leaving the water in the pressure cooker, add all the remaining ingredients except the cheese; cook on veg setting for about 10 minutes.
Start oven heating to 180 C / 350 F / Gas Mark 4.
When the filling is cooked, if there's excess liquid, drain. Divide filling out amongst the 8 eggplant halves. Sprinkle each half with a tablespoon of parmesan, then divide the grated cheese amongst the 8 halves.
Bake in 175 C (350 F) oven for about 25 minutes; serve piping hot.
Notes
You can easily make these a day ahead, doing everything but baking them.If you don't have a pressure cooker, you could try steaming the eggplant shells, and simmering the filling in some broth.