Eggplant and Tomato Stew (Khoresh Bademjan)

Instructions

1. 1Preheat your oven to about 205°C (200°C). Peel the 2 medium eggplants and cut them into 2.54 cm cubes. Place the eggplant cubes in a colander, sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of salt, and let them sit for 30 minutes to release excess water. After 30 minutes, rinse the eggplant cubes under cold water and pat them completely dry with paper towels.
2. 2Heat 1 tablespoon of the 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat (about 205°C/200°C). Add the about 450 g of lamb or beef stew meat and brown it on all sides, about 5-7 minutes. Remove the meat from the pot and set aside. Add the diced 1 medium onion to the same pot and cook, stirring occasionally, until it is golden brown, about 8-10 minutes.
3. 3Stir the 2 tablespoons of tomato paste, 1 teaspoon of turmeric, and 0.5 teaspoon of cinnamon into the pot with the onions. Cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute until fragrant.
4. 4Return the browned meat to the pot. Add the 1 28 oz can of diced tomatoes (undrained) and 2 cups of water. Stir everything together, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover the pot, and let it simmer gently for 30 minutes.
5. 5While the stew simmers, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat (204.4°C/200°C). Add the dried eggplant cubes in a single layer (you may need to do this in batches) and fry until they are golden brown on all sides, about 3-5 minutes per batch. Remove the fried eggplant from the skillet and drain them on paper towels.
6. 6Add the fried eggplant cubes to the pot with the stew. In a small bowl, combine the 0.25 teaspoon of saffron threads with 2 tablespoons of hot water and let it soak for 5 minutes. Stir the soaked saffron mixture and the 1 tablespoon of dried mint into the stew. Cover the pot and continue to simmer for another 30 minutes, or until the meat is very tender and the eggplant is soft.
7. 7Taste the stew and season with 0.5 teaspoon of black pepper. If needed, add more salt. Serve the Eggplant and Tomato Stew hot with basmati rice.

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