Borani Banjan (Afghan-style Eggplant in Yogurt)
Published June 13, 2024
- Total Time
- 35 minutes
- Prep Time
- 10 minutes
- Cook Time
- 25 minutes
- Rating
- Notes
- Read community notes
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Ingredients
Yield:4 servings
- 1cup full-fat Greek or Indian yogurt
- 1garlic clove, grated
- Salt
- ½ to 1cup vegetable oil
- 4Japanese or Indian eggplants (see Tip), or 1 globe eggplant, cut into ¼-inch-thick rounds
- 3plum tomatoes, chopped
- ½teaspoon kashmiri or other red chile powder (optional)
- 2tablespoons pomegranate seeds
- 4 to 6small mint leaves
Preparation
- Step 1
In a bowl, mix the yogurt, garlic, ½ teaspoon salt and 2 tablespoons water. Place in the fridge to chill and develop garlicky flavor.
- Step 2
Line a tray or large plate with paper towels. In a large frying pan, heat ⅓ cup oil on high. (The eggplant slices should be submerged about halfway in the oil while frying.) When the oil is heated, about 1 minute, add the eggplant slices in a single layer, and fry 1 to 2 minutes on each side, working in batches to avoid overcrowding and adding oil between batches as necessary. When the eggplant starts to caramelize and turn brown, transfer to the prepared tray or plate. Pat dry with a paper towel or clean kitchen towel to remove any excess oil and to preserve the eggplant’s crisp texture. Season with salt as desired.
- Step 3
To the same pan, add tomatoes, ½ teaspoon salt, 2 tablespoons water and chile powder, if using. Cook on high until the tomatoes start to break down, about 5 minutes.
- Step 4
To serve, spread the yogurt in a single layer in a large shallow dish. Add the eggplant in a single layer on top, and then scatter the tomato over the eggplant (see Tip). Finish with pomegranate seeds and mint.
Tips
- Indian eggplants tend to have thinner skin, are round in shape and are about 2 inches in diameter. These eggplants have a milder flavor and creamier texture than globe eggplants when cooked.
- If multiple layers are preferred (the traditional way), use half of the yogurt, eggplant and tomato for the first layer, and create a second layer with the second half of the elements.
Private Notes
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Cooking Notes
Beverly Held
I roasted the eggplant rather than fry it. It may have been a little less rich than frying but it was delicious. Great range of flavors and textures.
K.K.
Re the peppers, the spice is not an important part of the dish typically. Mint, Yogurt, and tomato do the work. The most apt spice to substitute would be a mix of paprika and cayenne. Other common spices like jalepeno, chipotle, or chili flakes would taste off. Hope this helps.
Doren
My favorite kind of food. I make a very similar dish and find that roasting 1 inch pieces of eggplant at 450 degrees ( 20 minutes one side, flip and continue for 10 more minutes) yields delicious results and much simpler. Also, I drizzle with a little pomegranate molasses, a pantry staple.
Dave
"Kashmiri or other red chile powder" isn't a very helpful description. I've never used Kashmiri peppers and know nothing about them. I don'even know if I can find them readily. If not, should I look for a hot pepper, a mild pepper, a smoky pepper, a fruity pepper? Some guidance would be appreciated. Since neither the recipe's author nor the NYT provided any assistance at all, could someone who knows this cuisine (or this pepper) offer some help? Thank you.
Debra STL
So a healthier version would be to prepare the eggplant in the traditional manner, salting and then summering in a tomato sauce. I hate frying, so hot and greasy, and would like to see a traditional recipe for the American home cook. Thx!
Rami
A sprinkle of garam masala or ajika to eggplant discs ( I roast at 400) develops fantastic flavor
Additions
This is such a lovely dish, if you wanted to increase the heft a bit I’m planning to add some chickpeas or lentils and serve it with whole grain flat bread or crusty sourdough for a lovely meatless main with a zesty side salad.
Mindy
The Kashmiri chili puts even the most colorful hot peppers to shame. It has a vibrant red hue and very eatable mild heat (1,000 to 2,000 Scoville heat units or SHU). The color of Kashmiri pops off the plate – bringing to life curries, tandoori chicken, and many other Indian dishes. There’s a lovely fruity undertone to this chili. It wouldn’t be the first off the spice rack shelf for use as a flavor additive, but it can make do as a sweet paprika substitute in a pinch.
Maria La Place
You can buy Kashmiri chili (as well as three other Indian chilis) from Diaspora dot com, a Bay Area-based, woman-owned company that sources spices directly from small sustainably-farmed spice farms in India so that the farmers are paid much more than they usually get for their crops. And owner Sana Javeri Kadri's spices are infinitely more flavorful than other brands. I have no financial interest in the company; I'm just a big fan of the way the company is run and its products.
Dave
There's garlic. There's chile powder. There's mint. Are these not seasonings?
midwestcook
You can buy kashmiri chili powder from The Spice House or from Amazon.
Charmaine
How is this the recipe of the day in the middle of a nationwide heat wave in June in the U.S.? While the yogurt and flavors would be refreshing, I’m not sure where I’d find the pomegranate seeds this time of year.
Drgonzo777
My guess is that Aleppo pepper would work well here.
Max
Good recipe, but the eggplant could use some seasoning beyond salt.
Carolyn
So delicious that I am preparing it for the second time three days later. The pomegranate seeds add a lovely flavor to an already delicious combination.
Eurogal
We found this an absolute winner, served with tiny lamb chops and following Julie Moskin's "best gazpacho." I used the paprika/cayenne mix suggested by reader K.K. Next time, for there definitely will be a next time, I'll use piment d'espelette/cayenne as a variation. Re. the pomegranate seeds, our Trader Joe's carries them pretty much year-round (the seeds, not the fruit). They were out this week but another market in town had them. They contributed a lovely burst of sweetness and crunch.
lollo
Roasted the eggplant with a drizzle of evoo and the chile pepper then sautéed the tomatoes in a small pan in oil with the seasonings. Afterwards, followed the recipe and plated using the “traditional” layering style and it was delicious! Easy, tasty and another great eggplant dish in the arsenal. ¡YUM!
SusanandBob
I used canola oil for the frying and the eggplant absorbed it like a sponge. The dish as a result was way too oily and heavy. I wish I had read the notes here from other cooks first and roasted the eggplant.
Jan Francisco
This was such a flavorful dish given how few ingredients are called for. I loved the garlicky yogurt with the tangy tomatoes. The only tedious part was frying up all the eggplant but it was 100% worth it. I didn’t know how this was going to come out, but it knocked my socks off. I am definitely making this again!
Catherine Beebe
I did this as listed with exception of using smoky paprika instead of the chili powder. Delicious, and will definitely make again. So refreshing for summer and it didn't need to be served immediately, which is helpful for dinner parties when you can't control the start time.
Susie
I love this recipe! It came out great even with the few liberties I too. I air fried the eggplant and used Chimayo Red chile. We were having a picnic, so I added the tomatoes to the eggplant and served it all chilled. Wonderful!
Michael
Delicious! I opted to roast the eggplant instead of fry it, and tossed chickpeas along side it in the oven to make this a main attraction. We used Aleppo Pepper, because thats what we had, but it was amaze. Will absolutely make again.
Matthew
Truly a wonderful dish! Used some leftover white wine instead of water and a large pinch of garam masala and smoked paprika in the tomato sauce, and served with a crusty bread. Served 2 as a main meal. Next time will consider air frying or baking the eggplant - I forgot how much oil eggplants absorb.
Mardale Bee
I roast cut-up eggplant for a number of dishes after tossing the pieces in olive oil and salt. Other than this dish, it goes very well with yogurt, mint (and/or parsley) and garlic, plus chickpeas for protein. Though not optimum, making extra to freeze can be a life saver on hot days when you don't want to eat heavy food, much less roast or fry anything.
The Chutney Ferret
the point of Kashmiri chili is its bright red colour and gentle fruity heat. If you can't find any or are unsure about its freshness use bright red Hungarian paprika and a pinch of Aleppo.
David
Added crunchy chickpeas and roasted them alongside the eggplant instead of frying. Great texture and taste! Couldn't source a decent pomegranate but I can see the vision and it would def add some pizazz (not that it needs any more!). Oh yea, we also used fresh garlic from the market. That was special. Are we living or what?!?!
Rachel H.
per newsletter: roasting them at 450 degrees for 20 to 30 minutes is less work and less messy (though it deprives you of crisp edges).
BDE2466
Recipe does not call for a Kashmiri pepper or or other chili pepper but Kashmiri pepper Powder, the dried ground spice. Still may be a specialty item not available everywhere.
Submit
Can you air fry the eggplant?
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