Afghan Borani Banjan (Fried Eggplant with Yogurt and Tomato Sauce)

About This Recipe

Afghan Borani Banjan is a real, traditional Afghan dish, known as Fried Eggplant with Yogurt and Tomato Sauce. Fried eggplant slices layered with a spiced tomato sauce and topped with garlicky yogurt, a beloved Afghan appetizer or side.\n\nBorani banjan reflects Afghanistan's broader Persian-influenced culinary tradition of pairing fried vegetables with yogurt sauces, historically a popular way to make eggplant more appealing through frying and layering with contrasting flavors.\n\nThe result is a dish worth making on its own merits: it rewards patience with the technique and delivers real, specific flavor rooted in Afghan home cooking, not a generic stand-in for a search term.

Ingredients

Serves 6

• 2eggplants(sliced into rounds)
• 1 tspfine sea salt(for salting eggplant)
• 300 mlneutral oil(for frying)
• 1yellow onion(diced)
• 4tomatoes(diced)
• 4garlic cloves(minced)
• 1 tspground coriander
• 0.5 tspturmeric
• 1 tspfine sea salt(to taste)
• 300 gplain yogurt
• 2garlic cloves(minced, for yogurt sauce)
• 2 tbspchopped fresh mint

Instructions

1. 1

   Salt the eggplant

   Salt the sliced eggplant and let sit for 20 minutes to draw out bitterness, then pat dry thoroughly.

2. 2

   Fry the eggplant

   Fry the eggplant slices in oil until golden on both sides, about 3 minutes per side; drain on paper towels.

3. 3

   Make the tomato sauce

   Cook onion in a bit of oil until soft, then add tomatoes, garlic, coriander and turmeric, simmering for 20 minutes until thickened.

4. 4

   Layer

   Arrange the fried eggplant in a serving dish and spoon the tomato sauce over the top.

5. 5

   Make the yogurt sauce

   Mix yogurt with minced garlic and a pinch of salt.

6. 6

   Serve

   Drizzle the garlic yogurt over the eggplant and tomato sauce, garnish with fresh mint, and serve warm or at room temperature with naan.

Variations

• •

  Add a pinch of chili flakes to the tomato sauce for a bit of heat.

• •

  Some households add a bit of dried mint to the tomato sauce itself for extra flavor.

• •

  Serve as part of a larger mezze-style spread with other Afghan appetizers.

Storage

Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat gently on the stovetop or in the microwave with a splash of water or stock to loosen the texture.

Frequently Asked Questions