Borani Bademjan: Eggplant Salad
Borani Bademjan: Eggplant Salad
Serves: 6 - 8
INGREDIENTS:
2 large, oval eggplants each about 375 g (13 oz)
salt, for sprinkling
125 ml (4 fl. oz./ ½ cup) oil
500 g (1 lb 2 oz./2 cups) drained yogurt*
2 garlic cloves, crushed
salt
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
chopped walnuts, to garnish, optional
INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Cut the eggplants in half lengthways, then slice crossways to 5 mm ( ¼ inch) thick slices. Sprinkle the slices liberally with salt, stacking them if necessary. Leave for 30 minutes, then rinse and dry with paper towels.
2. Heat half the oil in a large frying pan. Fry the eggplant in batches, over medium heat, until golden brown on each side, adding more oil to the pan as required. Drain on paper towels.
3. Mix the yogurt and garlic with salt to taste.
4. Place a layer of cooled eggplant in a serving dish, overlapping the slices a little. Season with pepper and spread some yogurt mixture on top. Repeat the layers, finishing with a layer of yogurt.
5. Cover and chill. Serve garnished with chopped walnuts, if desired.
• to make drained yogurt simply place yogurt in a cheesecloth or a doubled piece of muslin, tie it up with string and suspend it from a fixed object over a receptacle to collect the draining liquid. Leave for 2-4 hours, depending on the initial thickness of the yogurt. When drained, the yogurt should have the consistency of softened cream cheese.
Recipe from The Complete Middle Eastern Cookbook by Tess Mallos
Eshkaneh: Onion Soup
Eshkaneh: Onion Soup
Serves: 6 - 8
INGREDIENTS:
5 onions
90 g (3 oz. 1/3 cup) ghee or clarified butter
50 g (2 oz. 1/3 cup) flour
½ tsp. ground turmeric
60 g (2 oz. ½ cup) finely chopped walnuts, or 130 g (4 oz./ 2 cups)
chopped spinach, or 360 g (12 ½ oz. / 2 cups) diced potatoes
125 ml (4 fl oz./ ½ cup) lime or lemon juice
95 g (3 ½ oz. / ½ cup) lightly packed brown sugar
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 quantity Nano Dok *
2 – 6 eggs
INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Cut the onions in half from top to bottom, then slice each half into semi-circles.
2. Heat 1 tbsp. of the ghee in a heavy – based saucepan over medium-high heat. Add about 80 g (3 oz. / ½ c of the onion slices and fry until brown and crisp. Remove and set aside for garnishing.
3. Heat the remaining ghee in the pan and gently fry the remaining onion until translucent. Stir in the flour and cook until golden.
4. Add the turmeric, and your choice of walnuts, spinach, or potatoes. Cook for 2 minutes stirring often. Stir in 1.25 liters (42 fl. oz/5 cups) water and cook until thickened and bubbly stirring occasionally. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes.
5. Add the lime or lemon juice and the sugar. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and simmer for a further 15 minutes.
6. Meanwhile, prepare the Nano Dok and stir into the soup.
7. Lightly beat two eggs and slowly pour them into the soup. Stirring gently until the eggs set in shreds. Alternatively, break six eggs into the simmering soup, one at a time, and simmer gently until the eggs have set.
8. Ladle the soup into bowls; if using whole eggs, add one to each bowl. Garnish with the reserved browned onions and serve with flat bread.
*to prepare Nano Dok: Heat 1 – 3 tbsp ghee in a small saucepan. Stir in 1 tsp ground turmeric and cook for a few seconds, until the turmeric turns golden brown. Crush 1 ½ tsp dried mint and add to the pan, stir and immediately remove from the heat.
Recipe from The Complete Middle Eastern Cookbook, by Tess Mallos
Iran Recipes 2018
