Khoresh bademjan is a hearty and super delicious Persian eggplant stew. This flavorful recipe combines eggplants, meat, tomatoes and spices to create a truly satisfying dish. Try it with saffron rice and tahdig for a comforting Persian meal.
In a wide dutch oven, heat 3 tablespoons olive oil at medium-high, until shimmering. Add ⅓ of the sliced onions and saute until light golden brown and crisp, about 10 to 15 minutes. Using a slotted spoon transfer the onions to a plate. Tip: Add a pinch of salt when the onions are half cooked.
In the same dutch oven, add the cherry tomatoes and sear on all sides until edges are dark brown. Transfer the tomatoes to the same plate with fried onions.
Add the remaining sliced onions to the dutch oven and saute until translucent, about 5 minutes. Then add grated garlic and stir until aromatic, about 1 minute.
Push the sautéed onions to the edge of the pot or transfer to a plate. Drizzle more olive oil if needed. Arrange the lamb meat pieces in a single layer and raise the heat to high. Quickly sear the meat on both sides at high heat, until golden brown, about 3 minutes each side.Tip: It is important to brown the meat only on the surface and don't cook the inside.
Add advieh, turmeric, black pepper and salt. Stir to combine with meat and sautéed onions. Then add some water, tomato sauce, dried limes, saffron water (if using) and stir well.
Raise the heat and bring the mixture to a boil. Cover with a lid, lower the heat and simmer, until meat is 80 percent done, stirring in between, about 1¼ to 1½ hours (time will vary).
Prepare Eggplants
While the stew is simmering, prepare the eggplant. Preheat oven to 425 ºF.
If using large globe eggplants (American variety), cut the eggplant into halves and then cut ½ inch thick slices. Brush eggplant slices with 2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil on both sides.
Arrange the slices on a parchment paper lined baking sheet and bake until fork tender, about 25 minutes (time may vary with oven). See notes for skillet fried eggplant.
Eggplant Khoresh
Cut the roasted eggplant slices in the center if they are too large. Add the roasted eggplant and lime juice to the dutch oven and continue to simmer until the eggplants are soft and tender, about 30 minutes.
The sauce will thicken and some oil will trickle to the surface. Meat should easily fall off the bone. Taste and adjust the seasonings. Top with fried onions and seared cherry tomatoes and cook another 10 minutes. Serve khoresh bademjan hot with Persian saffron rice and tahdig.
Notes
Meat: Other choices are beef, veal, goat or chicken legs without skin. Cooking time for chicken is about an hour and extra water is not necessary. Skip the meat for a vegan version.
Eggplant: I chose globe variety as that is more common in the US. But you can also try Chinese, Italian or Indian eggplant varieties.
Tomato Sauce: Substitute with equal amount of canned tomatoes or 2½ cups fresh chopped tomatoes. To use tomato paste, mix 8 ounces tomato paste and 8 ounces water until well combined.
Dried Limes (limu-omani): Pierce the limes in couple places before adding to the stew. You can remove the bitter seeds and grind it into lime powder. If you can find fresh sour grapes, pickled sour grapes or sour grape juice from Persian grocery stores, try that as it is traditional.
Advieh: Use the one for khoresh. Substitute with a mild middle-eastern or eastern Mediterranean mixed spice blend.
Stove Top Instructions: In a large cast iron skillet, heat 3 tablespoons oil over medium high and add eggplant slices. Fry the eggplant, flipping the slices, until edges are caramelized and eggplant is cooked through, about 10 to 15 minutes.
Make Ahead: Roast eggplant slices up to 3 to 4 days ahead and refrigerate. You can also freeze roasted eggplant slices. Thaw and add to the stew.
Storage and Leftovers: Refrigerate the khoresh for 4 to 5 days. Freeze the stew for up to 2 months. Reheat in microwave or on stove top, adding water as needed.
For more information on ingredients, variations, recipe FAQs and serving suggestions, scroll up the page to the blog post.