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Borani banjan
Borani banjan: Afghan fried aubergine in tomato sauce on garlic yoghurt
Borani banjan is the aubergine dish Afghan hosts set out at almost every dinner party and Eid meal, from Herat to Mazar-i-Sharif. Thick slices of aubergine are fried until golden, then simmered in a tomato and pepper sauce until meltingly soft and laid over a bed of garlic yoghurt, with dried mint on top. It's eaten warm with naan, or as a side to rice. Chef's tip: fry the aubergine slices in a hot pan and let them drain well before they go into the sauce; well-browned slices hold their shape and give the dish its deep, almost sweet flavour.
- Total time
- 50 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the aubergine
For the sauce
For the garlic yoghurt
Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Sprinkle the 2 aubergines with 1 tsp salt and leave for 10 minutes. Pat dry with kitchen paper.
10 minStep 2: Heat half the 3 ⅞ tbsp vegetable oil in a large frying pan over a medium-high heat. Fry the aubergine slices in batches for 3 minutes a side, until deep golden. Drain on a rack. A common mistake is crowding the pan: the slices steam, soak up oil and go grey instead of browning.
12 minStep 3: Wipe out the pan, add the rest of the 2 ⅛ tbsp vegetable oil and fry 1 onion over a medium heat for 6–8 minutes, until soft and golden. Stir in 3 garlic cloves and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant.
8 minStep 4: Add 1 tbsp tomato purée, ½ tsp ground turmeric, 1 tsp ground coriander, ½ tsp red chilli flakes and ½ tsp ground black pepper and stir for a minute, then add 3 tomatoes, 1 green pepper, ½ tsp salt and 100 ml water. Simmer for 5 minutes, until the tomatoes collapse.
6 minStep 5: Lay the aubergine slices in the sauce, spoon some over the top, cover and cook over a low heat for 10–12 minutes, until the aubergine is completely tender and the sauce is thick and glossy.
12 minStep 6: Mix 9 oz thick strained yoghurt with 1 garlic clove. Spread half on a serving dish, arrange the aubergine and sauce on top and dot with the remaining yoghurt. Rub 1 tsp dried mint over the top and serve warm.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 290 kcal
- Protein
- 7 g
- Carbs
- 18 g
- Fat
- 22 g
- Fibre
- 7 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does borani banjan take?
- About 50 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 35 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of onion?
- 2 shallots per onion.
- What can I use instead of garlic cloves?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
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