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Borani Banjan (Afghan-Style Fried Eggplant in Yogurt)
From the cookbook "Pakistan" by Maryam Jillani, this festive eggplant dish is great for both large gatherings and everyday dinners.
👥 4 Servings👤 Maryam Jillani📖 bonappetit
🥘 Ingredients
Check off ingredients as you prepare them:
🍳 Cookware
- ●pan
- ●skillet
- ●saucepan
📝 Preparation Steps
1
Place 2 cups (480 g) full-fat yogurt, lightly whisked, in a flat serving dish and stir in 1 Tbsp. lemon juice. Set aside.
(480 g) full-fat yogurt, lightly whisked2 cups. lemon juice1 Tbsp
2
In a large skillet, heat ½ cup (120 ml) vegetable oil until it begins to shimmer. Add 1½ lb. (680 g) Italian eggplants or baby eggplants, cut crosswise into slices ¼" (6 mm) thick, making sure not to crowd the pan. Fry the eggplant for 1–⏱️ 2 minutes per side on medium heat until browned evenly, lowering the heat and adding more oil as needed. Transfer the fried eggplant to a plate lined with a paper towel to absorb excess oil.
3
In a clean large skillet, heat the remaining ¼ cup (60 ml) vegetable oil until it begins to shimmer. Lower the heat to medium-low and add 1 large yellow onion, halved, thinly sliced. Fry for 7–⏱️ 10 minutes until translucent. Add 1 tsp. minced garlic and fry for about ⏱️ 30 seconds, or until it no longer smells raw, taking care not to let it burn. Increase the heat to high and add 4 Roma tomatoes, cut crosswise into slices ¼" (6 mm) thick, 1 tsp. Kashmiri red chile powder, 1 tsp. salt, or to taste, ½ tsp. ground turmeric, and 1 bird’s eye chile, finely chopped. Cook for 5–⏱️ 7 minutes, stirring frequently, until the tomatoes soften. Lower the heat to medium and cover the saucepan with a lid. Let the sauce simmer for ⏱️ 5 minutes until the tomatoes have cooked down.
(480 g) full-fat yogurt, lightly whisked2 cupslarge yellow onion, halved, thinly sliced1. minced garlic1 tspRoma tomatoes, cut crosswise into slices ¼" (6 mm) thick4. Kashmiri red chile powder, plus more for garnish1 tsp. salt, or to taste1 tspbird’s eye chile, finely chopped1
4
Carefully add the fried eggplant. Turn the heat to its lowest setting, re-cover the skillet, and let steam for ⏱️ 10 minutes. Carefully place the eggplant and tomato sauce on the yogurt. Garnish with additional chile powder and 1 tsp. dried mint and 1 Tbsp. pomegranate seeds (if using).
(480 g) full-fat yogurt, lightly whisked2 cups. dried mint (optional)1 tsp. pomegranate seeds (optional)1 Tbsp
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