Persian cooking: recipes · Khoresht: stews (served with rice)

Khoresht-e Bademjan خورش بادمجان

Stew of meat and fried aubergines in tomato sauce, finished with a sour note of verjuice or dried lime.

⏱ 150 min

Ingredients

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  • 625 g lamb or beef (stewing cubes)
  • 2½ onions
  • 1¼ tsp turmeric
  • 2½ tbsp tomato paste
  • 5 aubergines
  • 3¾ tomatoes
  • 3¾ tbsp verjuice (sour grape juice) or lemon juice
  • 1¼ tbsp saffron threads, ground and dissolved in 4 tbsp hot water
  • 10 tbsp oil
  • salt (to taste)
  • black pepper (to taste)

Method

  1. Slice the onions into rings and fry in 3 tbsp oil until golden. Add turmeric and the meat and brown on all sides.
  2. Fry the tomato paste briefly, cover with water, season with salt and braise covered for about 1½ hours.
  3. Peel the aubergines, cut lengthwise into thick slices, salt them and leave for 20 minutes, pat dry and fry golden in the remaining oil.
  4. Add the aubergines, halved tomatoes, verjuice and saffron to the meat and cook covered over low heat for 30 minutes. Serve with rice.