Afghan Borani Banjan (Eggplant Bake with Yogurt)

About This Recipe

Borani banjan is one of Afghanistan's most popular vegetarian dishes, built from slices of eggplant fried until golden and tender, layered with a well-spiced tomato sauce, then baked briefly to let the flavors meld, and finished generously with a garlic and mint yogurt sauce spooned over the top just before serving. The contrast between the warm, savory eggplant and tomato layers and the cool, tangy yogurt is the whole appeal of the dish. Frying the eggplant properly — in enough oil, over steady medium heat, until each slice turns deeply golden on both sides — matters more than almost any other step, since undercooked eggplant stays spongy and bitter rather than turning soft and mellow. Salting the sliced eggplant briefly before frying and patting it dry helps draw out excess moisture and bitterness, letting it fry more evenly. The tomato sauce, built with onion, garlic, turmeric and a touch of dried mint, is simmered until thick and then layered with the fried eggplant in a baking dish for a short bake that lets everything come together. Served with warm naan or rice, borani banjan is a staple across Afghan tables, equally at home as a main course or a hearty side dish.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 2large eggplants(sliced into rounds)
• 1.5 tspfine sea salt(for salting the eggplant)
• 0.75 cupvegetable oil(for frying)
• 1onion(diced)
• 5 clovesgarlic(minced, divided)
• 0.5 tspturmeric
• 2 cupscrushed tomatoes
• 0.5 tspfine sea salt(for the sauce)
• 1.5 cupsplain yogurt
• 1 tspdried mint
• 2 tbspchopped fresh cilantro

Instructions

1. 1

   Salt and dry the eggplant

   Salt the eggplant slices and let sit 20 minutes in a colander, then pat dry thoroughly.

2. 2

   Fry the eggplant

   Heat oil in a wide skillet and fry the eggplant slices in batches over medium heat until deeply golden on both sides, about 8 minutes per batch. Drain on paper towels.

   Fry the eggplant until genuinely golden on both sides — undercooked slices stay spongy and slightly bitter no matter how good the sauce is.

3. 3

   Make the tomato sauce

   In a little of the frying oil, cook onion until soft, then add 3 cloves garlic and turmeric, cooking 1 minute. Add crushed tomatoes and salt, simmering 15 minutes until thick.

4. 4

   Layer and bake

   Layer the fried eggplant and tomato sauce in a baking dish, alternating layers. Bake at 190°C (375°F) for 15 minutes.

5. 5

   Make the yogurt sauce

   Stir the remaining 2 cloves garlic and dried mint into the plain yogurt with a pinch of salt.

6. 6

   Serve

   Spoon the garlic mint yogurt generously over the baked eggplant, scatter with fresh cilantro, and serve warm with naan or rice.

Variations

• •

  Use zucchini in place of some of the eggplant for a lighter, mixed-vegetable version.

• •

  Add ground beef to the tomato sauce for a heartier, non-vegetarian version.

• •

  Bake the eggplant instead of frying, brushed with oil at 220°C (425°F) for about 20 minutes, for a lighter preparation.

Storage

Refrigerate up to 4 days; the flavor deepens overnight. Reheat gently in a covered dish in the oven, adding the yogurt sauce fresh just before serving rather than reheating it.

Frequently Asked Questions