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Borani Banjan

By Mursal Saiq and Joshua Moroney, Cue Point

When we were younger, my siblings and I would fight over the juicy end of the aubergine in this dish — it was typically reserved for the head of the household. Don’t waste it — make sure you include the whole aubergine in this vegan-friendly recipe and then suck the juices from the end bit, you deserve it as head chef.

Serves: 4-6

Ingredients

For the aubergine

⬤ 2 whole aubergines

⬤ Herb salt

⬤ 2 tbsp of oil

⬤ ¼ tsp each of paprika, za’atar, turmeric and cayenne pepper

⬤ 2 garlic cloves, chopped

⬤ 1 white onion, diced

⬤ 1 tsp tomato purée

⬤ 5 fresh tomatoes, chopped

For the yoghurt base

⬤ A few dollops of vegan yogurt (or Greek yoghurt)

⬤ 1 garlic glove, grated

⬤ A sprinkling of dried mint

Method

1. Ideally the night before, cut the aubergines into thin slices and season them well with herb salt, paprika and a little za’atar.

2. Preheat the BBQ to a high heat for caramelising the aubergine slices. Lightly brush the aubergine slices with oil and place them directly on the grill. One or two minutes on each side should be enough. After each slice has been turned, pop the lid closed for 15 minutes to infuse a flavour of smokiness.

3. Meanwhile, in a frying pan, prepare your sauce. Heat two to three teaspoons of oil and add the diced onion and chopped garlic. Sauté both till they’re a light golden brown colour.

4. After three minutes, turn the heat to medium, then add the tomato purée, chopped tomatoes, turmeric powder, cayenne pepper, salt and cook until the mix becomes soft and mushy. This will take around seven minutes.

5. Once that’s done, add the barbecued aubergine slices and around 100ml of water, then cover the dish with a lid and cook over a low simmering heat for a further 10 minutes.

6.To make the garnish, whisk the yogurt, add grated garlic and mix in a little herb salt to taste. Mix this well so the consistency becomes looser than traditional yogurt.

7. To plate up, spread the yogurt on a plate or a bread, top with your aubergines in sauce and then pour more yogurt on top. Garnish with extra dried mint, as is tradition.

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2021-06-16T07:00:00.0000000Z

2021-06-16T07:00:00.0000000Z

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