Mirza Ghasemi
Smoky eggplant with tomato, garlic and egg · میرزاقاسمی
- 15 min Prep
- 45 min Cook
- 4 Servings
- Easy
Charred, smoky eggplant cooked down with garlic and tomatoes and bound with egg: the garlicky signature dish of Gilan on the Caspian coast.
Mirza ghasemi comes from Gilan, the green province on the Caspian Sea, where it is eaten with rice or bread as a main dish or a side. Its character comes from charring whole eggplants directly over a flame until the skin blackens and the flesh turns soft and smoky.
Gilani cooks use a lot of garlic. Fry it gently so it turns golden and sweet rather than sharp.
Ingredients
Instructions
- Prick the eggplants a few times and char them directly over a gas flame or on a grill, turning, for 15 to 20 minutes until the skin is black and the flesh collapses. (Or roast at 230°C / 450°F for 40 minutes.)
- Let them cool slightly, peel off the skin, and chop the flesh finely.
- Heat the oil in a frying pan over medium-low heat and fry the garlic for 2 to 3 minutes until pale golden. Stir in the turmeric.
- Add the eggplant and fry for 5 minutes, then add the tomatoes, salt and pepper. Cook for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring, until the mixture is thick and the oil separates.
- Make a space in the pan, pour in the eggs, let them set slightly, then stir them through the eggplant until just cooked.
- Serve warm with rice (kateh) or bread.
Tips & variations
- Charring over a flame gives the most authentic smoky taste; line the burner with foil to catch drips.
Where to buy the ingredients
Persian grocers carry the saffron, dried herbs, spices and long-grain rice that Persian cooking depends on:
Rather eat out?
Persian restaurants that serve it:
Kashk-e Bademjan
Kuku Sabzi
Salad Shirazi