Khoresh Bademjan
Persia's aubergine stew: golden-fried aubergines laid over lamb shoulder simmered with onion, turmeric, saffron and yellow split peas.
Overview
Aubergines are peeled in stripes, sliced into 1 ½ cm-thick rounds (or 2 cm-thick long pieces), salted heavily on both sides and rested for 30 minutes to weep bitter juice. Patted dry and shallow-fried gold in sunflower oil. The base: onion fries in oil until deep gold; lamb cubes brown in; turmeric, cinnamon, salt and pepper toast briefly; tomato paste cooks for 2 minutes; water and yellow split peas join; everything simmers for 1 hour. Verjuice (or lemon juice), saffron-water and the fried aubergines go in for the last 30 minutes. Served over chelo rice.
Ingredients
Lamb base
- 600 g lamb shoulder (cut into 3 cm cubes)
- 3 tablespoons sunflower oil
- 2 onions (large, sliced)
- 4 garlic cloves (sliced)
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground turmeric
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 80 g yellow split peas (rinsed)
- 800 ml water
Aubergines
- 4 aubergines (medium, about 800 g)
- 2 tablespoons salt (for salting)
- 200 ml sunflower oil (for frying)
To finish
- 1 large pinch saffron threads (soaked in 3 tablespoons hot water)
- 3 tablespoons verjuice (sour-grape juice, OR juice of 1 lemon)
- 1 teaspoon dried mint (optional)
- 2 tomatoes (sliced thin, optional, for topping)
To serve
- Persian chelo rice (with tahdig if possible)
Method
Stage 1 - Salt the aubergines
- Peel aubergines in alternating stripes (so some skin remains).
- Cut into 1 ½ cm-thick rounds (or 2 cm thick long lengthwise slices).
- Lay on a tray; sprinkle generously with salt on both sides.
- Rest 30 minutes.
- Rinse briefly; pat very dry with kitchen paper.
Stage 2 - Lamb base
- Heat 3 tablespoons sunflower oil in a wide heavy lidded pot over medium-high.
- Add lamb cubes; brown 6 minutes on all sides. Lift to a plate.
Stage 3 - Onions
- Reduce heat to medium; add sliced onions to the same pot.
- Cook 12 minutes, stirring, until deep golden.
- Add garlic; cook 1 minute.
Stage 4 - Spice
- Add turmeric, cinnamon, salt and pepper; cook 30 seconds.
- Add tomato paste; stir 2 minutes - it should darken slightly.
Stage 5 - Simmer
- Return lamb to the pot.
- Add yellow split peas.
- Pour in 800 ml water.
- Bring to a simmer; cover; reduce heat.
- Cook 1 hour - the lamb should be tender; the split peas soft and slightly broken down.
Stage 6 - Fry the aubergines
- While the lamb simmers: heat 200 ml sunflower oil in a wide pan to 175°C.
- Fry the aubergine slices in 2-3 batches, 2 minutes per side, until deep gold.
- Lift onto kitchen paper.
Stage 7 - Combine
- To the lamb pot, add the saffron-water, verjuice (or lemon juice) and dried mint.
- Lay the fried aubergines on top in a single layer (don't stir in; they break apart).
- Place sliced tomatoes over the aubergines if using.
- Cover; simmer gently 25-30 minutes.
Stage 8 - Rest and serve
- Off heat; let stand 10 minutes.
- Taste the sauce; adjust salt and verjuice.
- Serve in a wide shallow dish, alongside Persian chelo rice and tahdig.
Notes
- Salt the aubergines: Bitterness in aubergines is largely a flavour of the seeds and the juice. Salting and resting draws both out. Modern aubergine varieties are less bitter than older ones, but the salt step still helps texture.
- Fry them gold: Pale fried aubergine gives a watery khoresh. Fry to deep gold so the slices hold their shape and have caramelised flavour.
- Don't stir in the aubergines: They go on top and stay on top. Stirring breaks them into a mush.
Storage
- Refrigerate 4 days; reheats well, arguably better on day 2.
- Freezes 3 months.
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