Borani Bademjan/Persian Aubergine, Tomato & Garlic

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Borani Bademjan/Persian Aubergine, Tomato & Garlic

This easy to make dish, served as a main by Iranians and Afghans alike, can also serve this as an impressive appetizer. Mana, who taught an incredible masterclass for us, said she loves enjoying this soft, melt-in-your-mouth dish with some fresh Barbari bread. The flavours are layers of sweet, caramelised onion & garlic, a little spice, roasted tomatoes, aubergines, vegan garlic yoghurt, topped with dried mint. This method is more akin to Afghan style than Iranians, the latter of which will often mash the aubergine & mix it with the yoghurt. 

Ingredients

• 2 aubergines

• 2 potatoes- optional

• 10 cherry tomatoes

• 2 onions, thinly sliced

• 3-4 garlic cloves, minced

• 2 tablespoon of tomato paste

• Vegetable oil

• 200g vegan yoghurt (soya, coconut, oat etc.)

• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

• 1/2 teaspoon of salt

• 1/2 teaspoon of cracked black pepper

• 1/2 teaspoon of turmeric

• Cayenne pepper (to your taste)

 

Method

Tag @theiranianvegan on Instagram and visit Mana's website 

1. Fry the sliced onions in 2-3 tablespoon of vegetable oil. When translucent, add the turmeric and 2-3 cloves of minced garlic. Fry for a minute, then add the tomato paste, the whole cherry tomatoes, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, 1/2 teaspoon of pepper, and cook on a medium-low flame with the lid on for 5 minutes longer or until the tomatoes are roasted and soft. Add more oil or a small amount of boiling water if it is dry.

2. Meanwhile, cut the aubergines into 1-inch thick slices. Cover a frying pan with a thin layer of vegetable oil and fry until browned on both sides. When removing from the pan, place them on a paper towel lined plate to absorb the excess oil. A tip to make the aubergines absorb less oil is by grilling them in the oven on both sides first, this dehydrates them slightly.

3. If desired, peel the potatoes and cut them into 1-inch slices. Fry them in an air fryer for 10 minutes, or in a pan on both sides until crispy, if you don't have one.

4. Mix 200g yoghurt with a small amount of water to make it a thinner, pourable consistency. Add in the lime juice, 1/2 teaspoon of salt and one minced garlic and stir well.

5. To serve: Start with a layer of yoghurt, then aubergines, tomato, garlic and onion mixture, potatoes, then repeat in a random fashion. Sprinkle cayenne pepper to your taste throughout whilst assembling.

6. Top with dried mint, and extra virgin olive oil-optional.

7. Enjoy with warm bread! Delicious!