Banjaan Borani (Afghan aubergine with yoghurt)

Delightful aubergine dish with the subtle flavours of Afghan cuisine.

The menu at Afghan Kitchen never changes. The tiny restaurant in London’s Angel district opened in 1994, and has since been serving a small selection of delicacies from Afghan cuisine.

I lived nearby for a few years. Whilst I did, it was my go-to place for takeout. Simple food, quick and non-fuss service and big flavours. It was my dinner probably once a week on average – maybe more.

The chicken in yoghurt, which I’ve recreated and shared the recipe for earlier, was my usual choice. But having eaten there dozens of times, I’ve tried the full menu. Including, of course, the aubergine with yoghurt.

The combination of tomato, turmeric and chili is one of the flavours that’s distinctive of Afghan cuisine. ot enough to heat, but not so much it burns. Spiced, but not overpoweringly. And always cooled with a little yoghurt. Delicious!

All of that comes through in banjaan borani.

When you start going through the recipe, I know the frying of the aubergines (eggplants) will cause many of you to pause, but I urge you to stick with it. The frying is essential in achieving the silky texture that makes these aubergines so incredibly more-ish. As a bonus, it also makes them so filling they can easily take centre stage in your meal.

(Of course, you can bake it in the oven with less oil, too, but it won’t be as good.)

Serve banjaan borani as is with rice or bread for lunch. If you want to include a little more protein in the meal, add a couple of handfuls of chickpeas to your rice, or serve with a small portion of pan fried lamb alongside.

Hope you enjoy this as much as I do!

Vidar 🧿

PS! If you’re familiar with the Afghan Kitchen restaurant in London, please know that this isn’t an attempt to recreate their version. This is my version of the same dish, based on numerous sources.

Banjaan Borani (Afghan aubergine with yoghurt)

Lunch, dinner or side dish | Afghanistan | 30 minutes | Serves 2–4

Ingredients

600 g aubergines (eggplants) (2–3 medium or 5–6 small)
300–400 ml sunflower oil, or other oil suitable for frying (1¼–1⅔ cups)

Tomato Sauce

2 Tbsp oil, from frying the aubergines
4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
25 g tomato paste (tomato purée) (about 2 Tbsp)
150 ml water (⅔ cup)
1 tsp ground turmeric
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp pul biber (Aleppo pepper), or other chilli flakes to taste
400 g chopped tomatoes (14 oz) (I use fresh)
salt

Yoghurt sauce

200 g Greek or Turkish yoghurt (¾ cup)
1 clove garlic, crushed to a paste
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
salt

To serve

3–4 Tbsp finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
½–1 tsp pul biber (Aleppo pepper), or other chilli flakes, to taste

How I make it (quick version)

1. Slice aubergines into sticks. Shallow fry until soft and golden. Drain.

2. Sauté garlic and tomato paste, add water, spices, tomatoes and aubergines. Simmer.

3. Mix yoghurt sauce ingredients.

4. Serve the aubergines topped with yoghurt sauce, parsley and chilli flakes.

How I make it

1. Peel the aubergines (eggplants). Cut them into sticks about 1–2 cm (½–¾ inch) thick and 5–6 cm (2–2½ inch) long.

2. Pour the oil into a wide saucepan. Heat until a piece of bread sizzles when added (around 170°C/340°F). Fry the aubergine sticks in batches, taking care not to overfill the pan, until golden and completely soft, 4–6 minutes. Turn a couple of times during frying. Transfer to a sieve set over a bowl to drain excess oil. Reserve the cooking oil.

3. Heat a heavy-bottomed frying pan or saucepan over medium heat. Fry the garlic and tomato paste in 2 Tbsp of the reserved oil until fragrant, about 1 minute.

4. Add the water and mix well. Add the turmeric, ground coriander, pul biber (Aleppo pepper), chopped tomatoes and salt. Stir well to combine.

5. Place the fried aubergines over the tomato sauce. Sprinkle with more salt. Bring to a boil, then cover with a lid and reduce the heat to low. Simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from the heat. Mix gently and adjust seasoning with more salt if necessary.

6. Meanwhile, combine the yoghurt, crushed garlic, lemon juice and olive oil. Season to taste with salt. If your yoghurt is very thick, you can thin it with a little water to achieve a sauce-like consistency.

7. Serve the aubergines warm or at room temperature, topped with the yoghurt sauce, chopped parsley and a sprinkle of pul biber (Aleppo pepper).