Mirsaghasemi – Persian eggplant paste

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 2 large eggplants, dark purple
• 1 can tomatoes, peeled
• 2 large eggs
• 5 cloves garlic
• olive oil
• salt and pepper
• turmeric
• Herbs (parsley or mint)
• e.g. sour cream

Instructions

Working time approx. 25 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 1 hour; Total time approx. 1 hour 25 minutes

Wash the eggplants and grill them whole, either on the gas stove (at low heat) or in the oven (at about 180 degrees Celsius) until the skin is almost burnt and easy to peel off. Rinse under cold water to remove any remaining skin. Chop the eggplants into small pieces and mash them with a fork or use a large mortar and pestle. Heat a little oil in a pan and briefly fry the crushed garlic cloves over low heat. Add a small teaspoon of turmeric, mix well, and add the eggs. Fry briefly until they begin to set. Transfer the garlic and egg mixture to a plate and set aside. Add more oil to the pan and add the eggplant puree. Fry briefly over low heat and add the drained tomatoes. Simmer everything at low heat for about 30 minutes, stirring frequently. About 10 minutes before it’s ready, add the egg and garlic mixture. Serve with herbs and thin flatbread or basmati rice. Optionally, drizzle with sour cream over the eggplants.