One of my favorite summer vegetables, eggplants, play a starring role in this delicious Persian eggplant stew, Khoresh Bademjan. This is an amazing dish for an eggplant/brinjal/aubergine lover to try, but it also has the mojo to convert those who are either on the fence about this delicious veggies, or downright hate it. Eggplants pair deliciously with tomatoes in Indian recipes like Baingan Bharta and Baingan Masala and in this African Peanut Stew. The combination is just as alluring, but differently so, in this Persian recipe. The eggplants are pan-fried before they are simmered in the stew and double-cooking them this way makes them meltingly soft and voluptuous and absolutely irresistible. Typically meats such as lamb, chicken or beef are added to this eggplant stew, but for this vegan recipe we will use chickpeas to add protein, texture and tons of deliciousness. Use a mushroom stock if possible to add amazing umami, or make an instant stock with mushrooms (instructions in the notes section of the recipe card below).
Why you will love this recipe
Utterly flavorful. There are just three spices in this recipe, cumin, allspice and saffron, but they don’t make the stew spicy. Instead, they flavor it delicately, adding oomph without screaming out their presence. The tangy tomatoes, nutty chickpeas and creamy eggplants make the dish even more irresistible. Simple and easy recipe. This is a one-pot recipe and it doesn’t require any blending. I used canned chickpeas (homecooked chickpeas would be great too), making this Persian khoresh bademjan recipe even easier to put together. Healthy recipe. Everything in this dish is great for your health, from the eggplants to the tomatoes and the chickpeas.
Ingredients
Extra virgin olive oil. This is the best oil for this recipe. If you don’t have it or don’t want to use it, use any neutral vegetable oil. Eggplants. I used black-beauty eggplants, which are an Italian variety, that were about five inches long. You can also use Japanese eggplants for this recipe. Tomatoes Onions. Red or yellow onions will work here. Garlic Spices: ground allspice, ground cumin, turmeric and saffron threads Tomato paste Canned or cooked chickpeas 3 cups water or vegetable stock or mushroom stock. Lemon or lime. Authentic recipes use Persian dried limes and ghooreh (pickled sour grapes) in this stew, but those are not easily sourced and fresh lime juice or fresh lemon juice does the job of adding a nice tang to the recipe. Basil or parsley for garnish.
Optional ingredient
Dried mushrooms, for an instant stock. The mushrooms add amazing umami and texture, but you can leave them out. You can also use vegetable stock or water instead. See notes in recipe card for how to make the stock.
Serving suggestions
Khoresh bademjan is typically served with Persian rice cooked until it has developed a lovely crust (tahdig) at the bottom. Try this Persian rice with Saffron with the khoresh bademjan for a delicious food experience.
Storage instructions
Refrigerate: Store the khoresh bademjan in an airtight container in the fridge for up to four days. Like most stews, this one tastes even better the day after it is cooked. Freeze: Freeze in a freezer-safe container for up to three months. Reheat: Thaw and reheat in a saucepan, microwave or oven before serving.
More yummy eggplant recipes
Recipe card
Check to get new recipe updates by email.
