Torshi liteh
Torshi liteh is the dark, spoonable pickle of late summer, made in kitchens from Tabriz to Tehran when aubergines pile up cheaply at the bazaar. Roasted aubergine is chopped fine with garlic, a heap of dried herbs, nigella and golpar (Persian hogweed) and loosened with vinegar, then left for a couple of weeks until the flavours knit. It goes alongside rice and stews, inside a sandwich of bread and cheese, or next to kuku. Chef's tip: squeeze the cooked aubergine hard in a cloth; water left in it dilutes the vinegar and shortens the life of the jar.



