Borani Banjan - Afghan Eggplant Dish

Traditionally, banjan is made with fried eggplants, which makes them super creamy and tender. It has a melt-in-your-mouth, velvety texture and is loaded with flavour. Be sure to have some bread on the side to help soak up all the delicious sauce.

📝 Ingredients

• 4 small eggplant
• 1 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 4 garlic clove
• 2 fresh green chili
• 3 medium tomato
• 2 Tbsp tomato paste
• 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 medium yellow onion
• 2 medium tomato
• 1 cup unsweetened soy yogurt
• 2 garlic clove
• 1/2 tsp salt

👨‍🍳 Instructions

1. 1Peel the eggplants. Cut them through the middle horizontally and then slice them into 1 cm thick planks.
2. 2Heat the oil in a sauté pan over high heat.
3. 3When the oil is hot, carefully add a few eggplant slices. Cook until golden, about 2 - 3 min per side. Transfer the fried eggplant to a strainer set over a bowl to allow any excess oil to drain. Repeat until all the eggplants are cooked.
4. 4There should be leftover oil in the pan after frying the eggplant. For the following steps, we will need 1/4 cup (60 ml) of oil. Reduce the temperature to medium. Add the garlic (careful as it may splatter). Cook until fragrant and golden, about 30 seconds. Stir throughout.
5. 5Add the green pepper, chopped tomatoes, tomato paste, turmeric, and salt. Stir and cook for another 1 to 2 minutes.
6. 6Drop the heat to medium-low. Place the sliced onion over the sauce in a single layer. Then lay half the eggplant over the onions, layer the tomato slices over that, and finish with the remaining eggplant slices. Cover the pan and cook until the onions are soft, about 20 minutes.
7. 7Meanwhile, make the sauce by combining the yogurt, garlic, and salt in a small bowl.
8. 8Add some of the yogurt sauce to the base of a serving dish. Then scoop up the eggplant, tomato, and onion mixture and transfer it to the dish. Remove the peppers from the bottom of the pan and place them decoratively on top. Scoop up any remaining sauce and drizzle over the dish.
9. 9Finish with another drizzle of yogurt sauce, dried mint, and paprika powder for garnish. Serve with bread and enjoy!