A traditional dish in Afghanistan.
Ingredients
- 4 small eggplants (Brinjals/Aubergines)
- 1¼ cups (300 mL) vegetable oil
- 4 cloves garlic, crushed
- 2 green chilli peppers, sliced lengthwise
- 3 medium tomatoes, chopped
- 2 Tbsp (33 g) tomato paste
- ½ tsp ground turmeric
- 1 tsp (6 g) salt
- 1 medium onion, sliced into ½ cm thick rounds
- 2 medium tomatoes, cut into 1 cm thick rounds
Garlic yoghurt sauce
- 1 cup (240 mL) plain yoghurt or unsweetened soy yoghurt for a vegan dish
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- ½ tsp salt
Directions
- Peel the eggplants. Cut them through the middle horizontally and then slice them into 1 cm thick planks. Heat the oil in a saute pan over high heat.
- When the oil is hot, carefully add a few eggplant slices. Cook until golden, about 2 – 3 min per side. Transfer the fried eggplant to a strainer set over a bowl to allow any excess oil to drain. Repeat until all the eggplants are cooked.
- There should be leftover oil in the pan after frying the eggplant. For the following steps, we will need ¼ cup (60 ml) of oil*. Reduce the temperature to medium. Add the garlic (careful as it may splatter). Cook until fragrant and golden, about 30 seconds. Stir throughout.
- Add the green pepper, chopped tomatoes, tomato paste, turmeric, and salt. Stir and cook for another 1 – 2 minutes.
- Drop the heat to medium-low. Place the sliced onion over the sauce in a single layer. Then lay half the eggplant over the onions, layer the tomato slices over that, and finish with the remaining eggplant slices. Cover the pan and cook until the onions are soft, about 20 minutes**.
- Meanwhile, make the sauce by combining the yoghurt, garlic, and salt in a small bowl.
- Add some of the yoghurt sauce to the base of a serving dish. Then scoop up the eggplant, tomato, and onion mixture and transfer it to the dish. Remove the peppers from the bottom of the pan and place them decoratively on top. Scoop up any remaining sauce and drizzle over the dish.
- Finish with another drizzle of yoghurt sauce, dried mint, and paprika powder for garnish. Serve with bread and enjoy!
NOTES
*If there is more oil carefully take some out, if you need more oil add it in now.
** Don’t stir the onions and tomato too much otherwise they turn mushy.
I am taking a virtual culinary journey around the world. This recipe is featured on my show for cuisine from Afghanistan.
I love brinjals, they are versatile and a great substitute for meat.
I used real yoghurt but vegan yoghurt can be used to make this a vegan dish rather than a vegetarian one.
All my recipes are adjusted for kosher dietary requirements.
Bon Appetite,
בְּתֵאָבוֹן!
خپل خوراک نه خوند اخلا Other traditional foods of Afghanistan can be found here https://trip101.com/article/traditional-food-in-afghanistan