Borani Banjan

Borani Banjan (Afghan Aubergine with Yogurt)

A classic Afghan vegetarian dish of golden fried aubergine slices simmered in a light tomato sauce, then topped with a cool garlic-yogurt sauce and dried mint. Served at room temperature or warm with naan.

Prep

25 min

Cook

40 min

Total

65 min

Serves

4

Difficulty

Medium

Recipe ingredients

• •3 medium aubergines (eggplants), about 750 g total / 1½ lb, firm and glossy
• •150 ml (⅔ cup) sunflower oil, for shallow-frying; plus more if needed
• •400 g (14 oz) ripe tomatoes, about 3 medium, peeled and chopped, or one 400 g / 14 oz tin chopped tomatoes
• •1 tbsp tomato paste
• •1 small onion, finely sliced (optional, some families include it)
• •3 cloves garlic, 2 cloves crushed into the yogurt, 1 sliced for the sauce
• •250 g (9 oz) thick plain yogurt, full-fat Greek-style or strained yogurt; labneh works well
• •1 tsp dried mint, plus a little extra to scatter
• •salt, ½, plus more for salting the aubergine and seasoning the yogurt
• •1 pinch sugar, optional, to balance the tomatoes
• •1 pinch black pepper

Steps

1. 1 Trim the aubergines and slice them into rounds about 1 cm (½ inch) thick. Spread on a tray, sprinkle lightly with salt, and leave for 20 minutes to draw out bitterness. Rinse and pat thoroughly dry with kitchen paper - wet slices will splatter in the oil.
2. 2 Heat the sunflower oil in a wide frying pan over medium heat. Fry the aubergine slices in batches, about 2–3 minutes per side, until deep golden and completely soft when pierced with a knife. Do not crowd the pan; add more oil between batches. Drain on kitchen paper and set aside.
3. 3 Pour off all but about 1 tablespoon of oil from the pan. Add the sliced onion (if using) and the sliced garlic clove and cook over medium heat for 3–4 minutes until softened and lightly golden.
4. 4 Add the tomato paste and stir for 30 seconds, then add the chopped tomatoes, 60 ml (¼ cup) water, the pinch of sugar, black pepper and a little salt. Simmer for 8–10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has thickened and the oil begins to separate at the edges.
5. 5 Lay the fried aubergine slices into the sauce in a single layer (or in two layers), spoon a little sauce over them, cover and simmer gently for 5 minutes so they absorb the flavour. The aubergine should be very tender and the sauce clinging, not runny. Taste and adjust the salt.
6. 6 While the aubergine simmers, mix the yogurt with the crushed garlic, ½ teaspoon salt and the dried mint in a small bowl. The sauce should be thick and pourable; if it is too stiff, loosen with 1–2 teaspoons of cold water.
7. 7 Transfer the hot aubergine and sauce to a serving dish. Spoon or pour the cool garlic-yogurt sauce over the top, scatter with a little extra dried mint, and serve immediately with naan. Borani banjan is also excellent at room temperature, which is how it is often served at Afghan tables.