A gorgeous Persian dish with smoky roasted aubergine, cooked in a garlicky tomato sauce, with eggs folded and cooked in before serving. Perfect as an appetiser served with other mezze-style dishes.
Origins of Mirza Ghasemi
This dish comes from the Northern and Caspian Sea region of Iran (specifically Gilan). The cuisine from this region tends to be more vegetarian dishes such as Kal Kabab (an aubergine dip made with walnuts, garlic and pomegranate molasses) and Baghali Ghatogh (a broad bean, dill and egg stew) .
Mirza ghasemi was invented by Mohammad Qasim Khan, the governor of Rasht during the reign of Nasser al-Din Shah (1848-1896).
What is in Mirza Ghasemi?
The dish consists of aubergines smoked on an open fire or gas hob. The flesh of the aubergine is scooped out and added to sautéed onions and garlic, spiced with turmeric. Fresh tomatoes and tomato puree are added to make a rich sauce. Beaten eggs are then folded in and the dish seasoned. The result is a silky and flavoursome dip.
How to Serve this Dish
Scoop up this warm dip-style appetiser with Persian flat-bread (Sangak or Barbari – as pictured) or serve as a main dish alongside rice and fresh herbs.
To make it heartier, make four holes in the Mirza Ghasemi, while it is simmering, and crack four eggs into the holes. Then place a lid on top to cook the eggs to your liking.
Otherwise serve it, as I love it, with a platter of fresh herbs (mint, parsley, coriander, tarragon, basil and spring onion), feta and flat-bread (as pictured above).
Variations
If you are vegan then just leave out the eggs or replace with scrambled style silken tofu. Equally delicious!
Other Vegetarian Recipes
- Whole Roasted Cauliflower | The Mediterranean Dish
- Potato Curry (Dopiazeh Aloo) | The Mediterranean Dish
- Sambuseh-e Sabzijaat (Persian Vegetable Samosas)
- Kashke Bademjan (Persian Aubergine Dip with Kashk)
Mirza Ghasemi
Ingredients
- 3 large aubergines (or 5 medium aubergines)
- 3 tbs olive oil
- 1 medium brown onion (finely chopped)
- 1 medium whole garlic (peeled and cloves crushed)
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 3 medium plum tomatoes (chopped)
- 3 tbsp tomato purée
- 1 tsp Maple Syrup or Sugar
- 3 tbsp water
- 2 large free-range eggs (beaten)Â - plus more if eating as a main course
- Salt and Pepper (to taste)
- Chopped fresh chives and/or crushed walnuts (to garnish)
Instructions
- Smoke the aubergines whole over an open flame (gas hob or BBQ) until blackened and the flesh has softened. The idea is to get the smoky flavour into the final dish. Alternatively, grill the aubergines to get the same effect - charred skin and soft flesh. Place the cooked aubergine in a large dish and cover with clingfilm for about 10 to 20 minutes. This will help when peeling the charred skin off.
- Peel the skin / scoop the aubergine flesh out of the skins and leave to one side.
- Put a frying pan on a low / medium heat and add your olive oil and your chopped onion and a pinch of salt. Cook the onion until it has turned translucent / caramelised. Then add the garlic, gently stirring into the onion mixture making sure the garlic cooks slowly and does not burn. Then add and stir in the turmeric.
- Add the tomatoes and cook until tomatoes have softened and broken down.
- Stir in the aubergine flesh and mash the mixture gently. Add the tomato purée, water, maple syrup and seasoning and cook for approximately 10 mins, stirring gently now and then.
- Make a few holes in mixture and add the beaten eggs. Once eggs start to gain a little colour and firm a little, stir them in until evenly distributed through aubergine mixture. Let the mixture simmer gently on a low heat and with a lid on the pan for a further 10 mins.
- [If you are serving as a main dish, feel free to bulk up with extra eggs, cracked and poached in the Mirza Ghasemi while gently simmering - cover with a lid to cook the egg through. See notes above].
Sounds yum !