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Persian Eggplant Stew 2

Serves 4 to 6 Entree vegetarian

Persian Eggplant Stew 2

Persian Eggplant Stew 2 embodies the essence of home cooking in Persian households. This dish is lovingly prepared with no precise measurements, just the intuition of a cook who knows their ingredients well. It's a staple at family tables, where the warmth of shared meals is as important as the flavors themselves. Eggplants and tomatoes, two pillars of Persian cuisine, come together with onions and garlic to create a comforting stew that speaks of tradition and familiarity.

The taste is a harmonious blend of tender eggplant, sweet tomatoes, and the subtle bite of garlic, all enriched by the generous use of olive oil. The stew is seasoned simply, allowing the freshness of the ingredients to shine through, with a hint of black pepper and sea salt enhancing each bite. It's a dish to be savored slowly, each spoonful a reminder of its humble yet profound roots.

Ingredients

  • 2eggplants
  • 2tomatoes
  • 1onion
  • 80 mlolive oil
  • 3 clovesgarlic
  • to tastefine sea salt and black pepper

Method

  1. Begin by peeling the 2 eggplants and slicing them into rounds about 1 cm thick. Place the slices in a colander, sprinkle them generously with fine sea salt, and let them sit for 20 minutes to draw out any bitterness. Rinse the eggplant slices under cold water and pat them dry with a clean kitchen towel.
  2. Chop the 1 onion finely and set aside. Dice the 2 tomatoes into small cubes, removing the seeds if preferred for a smoother texture. Mince the 3 cloves of garlic and set aside separately.
  3. In a large, heavy-bottomed pan, heat 80 ml of olive oil over medium heat. Once the oil is shimmering, add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion becomes translucent and soft, about 5 to 7 minutes. The onion should not brown, so adjust the heat if necessary.
  4. Add the minced garlic to the pan and cook for another minute until fragrant. Then, add the diced tomatoes and stir to combine. Let the mixture cook until the tomatoes break down and form a thick sauce, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.
  5. Gently add the eggplant slices to the pan, ensuring they are coated with the tomato mixture. Cover the pan with a lid and reduce the heat to low. Allow the stew to simmer, stirring occasionally, until the eggplants are tender and have absorbed the flavors, which should take about 20 to 25 minutes. The eggplants should be soft and easily pierced with a fork, and the sauce should be thickened.
  6. Taste the stew and adjust the seasoning with fine sea salt and black pepper to your liking. Serve the Persian Eggplant Stew warm, ideally with bread or rice, inviting everyone to share from the communal dish.
Cover of Authentic Persian Cuisine
From the cookbook

Authentic Persian Cuisine

This recipe is from Authentic Persian Cuisine by Yassine Sbiti — the Persian volume in the ComidaTime International Cuisines series.

Available soon on Amazon…

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