Borani Banjan (Afghan eggplant dish)
If I had to choose my favorite cuisine, it would be Afghan! Now I am biased because both my parents were born and raised in Afghanistan but I love the balance their food has. The best way to describe Afghan food is a mix between Indian and Middle Eastern cooking. The food is super flavorful but uses a limited amount of spices.
Boorani banjan aka Afghan style eggplant is a great example of this flavorful yet simple cooking. The limited ingredients allows the eggplant to shine and really emphasize how creamy they get.
One reason I’m proud of this recipe is because it’s one of the few foods my Punjabi father in law will specifically ask me to cook. I know this seems silly but my mother in law is an amazing cook so if I’m asked to make something over her, it’s a big deal!
I hope you all enjoy this recipe as it comes from the heart; from my table to yours.
PREP TIME: 5 minutes l COOK TIME: 40 minutes l TOTAL TIME: 45 minutes
Ingredients:
1 large eggplant ; this recipe also works great with zucchini and squash (1/4”slice.)
1 large white onion, chopped
3 tomatoes, chopped
1 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon dried mint powder, you can also use 6 fresh mint leaves if you can’t find the powder
4 garlic cloves, minced
3 tablespoons plain yogurt
Salt
Pepper
Water
Vegetable Oil
Directions:
Serves: 4 servings
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Alternatively you can also shallow pan fry the eggplant if you don’t have access to an oven.
Slice eggplant into 1/2” thick rounds and place onto baking sheet. Coat slices generously with a neutral oil, salt and pepper.
Bake eggplant for 30mins, flipping half way. If you decide to pan fry them, cook for 3-5 minutes per side until golden brown and take out onto a paper towel lined tray to remove any access oil.
In a saucepan with high sides, add 2 tablespoons neutral oil and roast cumin seeds in high wheat.
Once the cumin is fragrant, add in chopped tomatoes (with their natural juices), onions and 3 minced cloves of garlic. Stir to combine and cook on low heat for 20minutes.
After tomato mixture is cooked, remove from pan and layer cooked eggplant at bottom of saucepan. Then layer tomato mixture on top, add mint powder and cook together on medium heat for 5minutes.
In a medium bowl, stir together one clove of garlic, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and yogurt. Add up to 1/3 cup of water to thin mixture to a sauce consistency (think bbq sauce).
Carefully slide eggplant and tomato mixture into serving dish or serve directly from saucepan; I prefer to do this as it feels more family style to me.
Drizzle garlic yogurt on top or serve alongside eggplant.
My favorite way to serve this dish is with some crusty afghan bread or a baguette ! Enjoy
