Mirza ghasemi (Persian tomato and aubergine dip)
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
A great Persian dish of soft roasted aubergine in tomato and garlic sauce, with eggs cooked into it at the last minute. Ideal for making as part of a mezze meal or as a brunch treat.
You can make this the day ahead and cook in the eggs before serving.
Leave out the eggs to make this vegan.
Ingredients
- 5 aubergines
- 150ml vegetable oil
- 2 tsp tomato paste
- 250g tinned chopped tomatoes
- 80g garlic cloves, peeled and minced
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 1 tsp each salt and ground black pepper
- 4 eggs
Method
Pierce the aubergines all over, and heat the grill to 220C (200C fan). Grill the aubergines, turning often, for 20-25 minutes, until the skins are burnt, then transfer to a bowl, cover tightly and leave to the steam. When cool enough to handle, peel and discard the skin, and put the flesh in a bowl.
In a lidded pot, heat 100ml oil on a medium heat, then fry the tomato paste until the oil turns bright red. Add the tomatoes and cook for 10-15 minutes, until slightly thickened. Stir in the reserved aubergine pulp, then cover and cook on a low heat, stirring regularly, for 30 minutes.
Heat the remaining oil in a small frying pan, then sauté the garlic and turmeric until the garlic is lightly golden. Add half the garlic mix to the aubergine pot with the salt and pepper, then taste; add the rest of the garlic and turmeric if you feel it needs it.
If you're making the day ahead, cool and place the mix in an airtight container and chill overnight. Prior to serving, reheat and continue as below.
Make four wells in the aubergine mix, crack an egg into each one and break the yolks. Cover and cook for a few minutes until the whites are set. Mix to scramble the eggs and serve.
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