Borani Banjan (Afghan Eggplant Casserole)

🧂 Ingredients

• ½ cup oil

  divided into 5 tbsp + 3 tbsp
• 1 large eggplant

  approx 1 to 1 ½ lbs
• ½ tsp salt or 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1 head garlic

  *can sub garlic paste if you're lazy
• ½ inch piece ginger

  *can sub ginger paste if you're lazy
• 1 tbsp tomato paste

  *optional
• ½ tsp paprika
• ½ tsp red pepper flakes
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 black cardamom pod, ground into powder

  *optional
• 1 tsp turmeric
• ½ tsp fine salt or 1 tsp kosher salt
• ½ tsp ground black pepper
• 1 large tomato

  *can sub canned diced tomatoes
• ½ cup fresh cilantro
• ½ cup Homemade Vegan Yogurt

Instructions

• 1 Preheat oven to 425 °F (218 °C)
• 2 Rinse and slice the eggplant into 1-cm (1/3-inch) thick pieces.
• 3 Lay each slice side by side on lined baking sheets. We'll be roasting the
  eggplants, although the traditional method is to deep-fry them.
• 4 Drizzle 5 tbsp of oil over the eggplants (no need to flip them) and sprinkle
  with 1/2 tsp salt. Roast at 425 °F (218 °C) for 25–35 minutes or until golden
  brown.
• 5 Meanwhile, crush or chop the tomato and gather the spices (paprika, red pepper
  flakes, cumin, ground black cardamom, turmeric, salt, black pepper).
• 6 Crush the garlic into a rough paste; reserve half for mixing into the yogurt
  later. I use a mortar and pestle but a garlic press works too.
• 7 Crush ginger and mix it into the garlic, along with tomato paste.
• 8 Heat 3 tbsp of oil in a saucepan on medium heat.
• 9 Add the garlic-ginger-tomato paste and gently fry (temper) for a minute or two
  until fragrant.
• 10 Add all the spices and temper for another 30 seconds.
• 11 Pour in the chopped tomatoes and mix thoroughly with the spices. Cover with a
  lid and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• 12 When eggplants are roasted to a golden-brown colour, remove them from the oven.
  Keep the oven on.
• 13 Arrange a layer of eggplant at the bottom of a small casserole dish. Cover with
  a layer of tomato sauce.
• 14 Continuing alternating the eggplant and tomato sauce until you reach your last
  layer of eggplant. Top with a layer of cilantro (reserve some for garnish if
  you'd like), then cover with the remaining tomato sauce.
• 15 Cover the casserole either with an oven-safe lid or with a tight wrap of
  aluminum oil, then bake in the oven for 25 minutes at 425 °F (218 °C).
• 16 Meanwhile, mix together the yogurt with the remaining garlic.
• 17 Remove casserole from oven and let stand 5 minutes before uncovering and
  serving. Top with yogurt and sprinkle with any remaining cilantro.

Nutrition Info