Mirza ghasemi (smoked eggplant with egg and garlic)

Roasting the eggplant directly over a flame gives a very nice smoky flavour to this dish and sometimes the eggs are scrambled in the same pan as the eggplant to make it easy, but here I’ve done it separately.

Credit: Adam Liaw

• serves

  4

• prep

  30 minutes

• cook

  30 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

Ingredients

• 3 large eggplants
• olive oil
• 1 onion, thinly sliced
• 8 garlic cloves, peeled and finely sliced
• 2 tsp ground turmeric
• 3 large tomatoes (or 400 g can crushed tomatoes)
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1½ tsp salt
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 3 eggs, lightly beaten
• crushed toasted walnuts and mint leaves, for garnish
• flat bread, to serve

Instructions

1. Using a skewer, prick the eggplant all over. Place directly on an open flame, on the chargrill or in a wood–fired oven and cook until blackened and blistered all over. Stand until cool, then carefully peel and discard the charred skin. Finely chop the flesh.
2. Meanwhile, heat a good drizzle of oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Cook the onion until golden and crisp, then remove from the pan and set aside.
3. Heat another good drizzle of oil to the pan and add the sliced garlic. Stir over medium heat until the garlic is just starting to colour. Stir in the turmeric, then add the beaten eggs and stir until just set and nicely scrambled. Remove from the pan and set aside.
4. Add another drizzle of oil to the pan and place over medium heat. Add the chopped eggplant, tomato, tomato paste, fried onions and season to taste. Stir to combine well, then cook for a few minutes or until slightly thickened. Add the scrambled egg and stir to combine.
5. Serve, scattered with walnuts and mint leaves, with flatbread or rice.

 

Photography by Adam Liaw.

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Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.