Name: Eggplants with Lamb and Onion Stuffing (Bademjan-e shekam por)
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 2 h
Total time: 2 h 30 min
Yield: Makes: 6 servings
Cuisine: Iranian
Ingredients: ½ cup (120 ml) oil, butter, or ghee*; ½ cup (40 g) fresh chopped parsley; 1 teaspoon turmeric; 6–8 Italian eggplants, peeled (leave the stems intact)*; 2 teaspoons sea salt; 1 pound (450 g) ground lamb; 1 teaspoon dried fenugreek leaves; 1 cup (240 ml) broth or water; 1 tablespoon ground cumin; ¼ cup (40 g) fresh chopped cilantro; 1 tablespoon pomegranate paste; 1 tablespoon grape molasses; 1 tablespoon oil; 1 tablespoon pomegranate or tamarind paste; 1 teaspoon grape or date molasses; 1 teaspoon salt; 1 cup (85 g) fresh chopped mint or 1 tablespoon dry; 6 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced; ½ teaspoon fresh ground pepper; 2 large onions, peeled and thinly sliced; 2 tomatoes, peeled and chopped; ½ cup (120 ml) oil for frying; ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes

Preparation info

Makes:
6
servings

Difficulty
Medium
Ready in
2 hr 30

Appears in

Food of Life

By Najmieh Batmanglij

Published 2011

About

Ingredients

6–8 Italian eggplants, peeled (leave the stems intact)*
½ cup (120 ml) oil for frying

Method

Make a slit, lengthwise, in each eggplant without opening the ends. Soak the eggplants in a container of cold water with 1 tablespoon salt for 20 minutes. Drain, rinse, blot dry, and set aside (this removes any bitterness in the eggplants).
Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C)