VEG LASAGNA RECIPE WITH EASY HOME MADE PASTA SAUCE/ BECHAMEL SAUCE

• Big ripe tomatoes – 6 nos ( blanched & pureed )
• Big onion – 2 nos ( very finely chopped )
• Garlic – 6 cloves (minced)
• Olive oil – 4 – 5 tbsp
• Black pepper powder – 1 tbsp
• Parsley ,oregano , thyme and basil mix –1 tbsp ( i used garlic bread seasoning ) OR Oregano – 1/2 tbsp & Basil – 1/2 tbsp
• Bay leaf – 1 no
• Sugar – 1 tsp
• Salt  & water – as needed
• Cheese – 2 tbsp (optional)

• Milk –  1.5 cups
• Bay leaf – 1 no
• Pepper corns – 6 nos
• Big onion – 1 no ( cut into slices)
• Maida / All purpose flour – 2 tbsp
• White pepper powder – 1 .5 tsp ( i used black pepper powder)
• Nutmeg powder – 1/4 tsp
• Butter – 3 tbsp
• Salt –1/2 tsp
• Sugar – 1/2 tsp
• Water – as needed

• In a  milk pan , boil the milk along with bayleaf , onion and pepper corns.Boil it for 5 mins. Strain the milk and allow it to cool.

• After the milk cools down , add maida to it and mix well without lumps. Now melt the butter in a pan and add the milk mixture to the pan  with sugar & salt. ( as per the actual recipe , maida has to be roasted well in butter before adding milk , but u may get lumps while roasting. So i added the maida with milk without roasting.) . I kept the milk in a bowl . I added the melted butter to the bowl.I got this step from here..

• Now allow the milk to boil till the raw smell of maida emanates. Keep in low flame. Add more milk if necessary.Finally add the pepper powder & nutmeg powder.Boil for few mins.It will thicken and reaches sauce consistency. Remove & store.Make the sauce slightly thin (ie tomato ketchup consistency)

• ** Lasagna sheet – 9 nos ( Follow as per the instruction given in the box. Put the sheets in salted hot water for 10 mins , make it soft & then arrange them)
• Brinjal ( long green variety) – 4 nos
• Mushroom – 7 nos
• Carrot – 2 nos (finely chopped)
• Bell pepper – 1/2 no ((finely chopped )
• Big onion – 2 nos
• Garlic cloves – 6 nos (minced)
• Salt & pepper powder – 1/2 tsp each
• Lasagna pan (13x9x2) – 1 no
• Thermal foil – 1 sheet
• Ricotta cheese – 1 can
• Grated Mozarella Cheese – 1 cup  ( I used pizza cheese alone )

• Chop the brinjal into round slices & immerse in water till use.
• Clean & cut the mushroom into small pieces.
• Finely chop the carrot & capsicum . Boil in water till it is cooked.
• Heat water in a big vessel , add salt & a drop of oil , allow it to boil. Add the lasagna sheet and keep it for 10 mins in fire-off. This makes the sheet soft. Remove the sheet & proceed..

• Finely chop the onions & garlic cloves.In a kadai , heat the olive oil and add the onions & garlic cloves .Saute till turns transparent.Add the cooked carrot &capsicum. saute for few seconds. Then add 3/4th of the pasta sauce.Mix well. Add salt & pepper powder.Mix well and switch off the flame. Set aside.

• Heat olive oil in a separate pan and saute the brinjal & mushroom pieces till it shrinks in size. Add the required salt & set aside.

• Now take the lasagna pan or casserole..Brush with oil or butter.I kept a thermal foil at the bottom as my pan is in a bad condition but that is not necessary..

• Boil the lasagne sheet in a bowl of water for a minute.Take it out and then place the lasagne sheet in the pan.. Fill the gaps by keeping small pieces of sheet..Spread the white sauce over the sheet ..

• Now spread the carrot mixture with pasta sauce which we kept ready. Spread a layer of sauteed brinjal, mushroom mixture.. Again spread a layer of white sauce and cover with ricotta cheese.

• Place another sheet above this and repeat the same procedure starting & ending with white sauce. Make 2-3 layers as per the quantity of vegetables available..Finally cover the mixture with a lasagne sheet & spread 1 cup of mozzarella cheese over it. Cover it fully without any gap.

• Now close the pan with a thermal foil and bake in a preheated oven at 180c in convection mode for 30-40 minutes. Mine took 35 minutes. Please keep an eye after 25 mins.If the color of the sheet turns golden brown on top & cheese melts, stop baking and give a standing time of 10 minutes.

• Remove and enjoy eating hot !!

Note :I baked for 30 minutes with thermal foil and it dint get brown. So i uncovered it and baked for another 5 minutes.The point is the outer layer has to be slightly browned. So keep an eye !!