Khoresh Bademjan (Persian Eggplant and Beef Stew)

By oven-roasting the eggplants instead of deep-frying them, this authentic Iranian stew offers rich traditional flavours with low fat and high protein per serving.

Ingredients

Calories next to each ingredient are for that ingredient across the whole recipe (4 servings), not per serving.

• 600 g (1.3 lbs) lean beef cubes · 846 kcal in the whole recipe
• 400 g (14 oz) eggplant, sliced lengthwise · 100 kcal in the whole recipe
• 150 g (1 medium) yellow onion, diced · 60 kcal in the whole recipe
• 8 g (2 cloves) garlic, minced · 12 kcal in the whole recipe
• 200 g (1.5 medium) tomatoes, diced · 36 kcal in the whole recipe
• 34 g (2 tbsp) tomato paste · 33 kcal in the whole recipe
• 20 g (1.5 tbsp) olive oil · 177 kcal in the whole recipe
• 30 g (2 tbsp) fresh lemon juice · 7 kcal in the whole recipe
• 120 g (0.6 cup) dry basmati rice · 432 kcal in the whole recipe
• 1 tsp ground turmeric, pinch of cinnamon, salt, black pepper, and 3 cups water

Method

1. Preheat oven to 200°C (400°F). Brush eggplant slices with half of the olive oil, place on a baking sheet, and roast for 25 minutes until golden brown.

   

2. In a pot, heat the remaining olive oil; sauté diced onion and minced garlic until soft, then add beef cubes and brown for 5 to 7 minutes.

   

3. Stir in tomato paste, diced tomatoes, ground turmeric, cinnamon, salt, black pepper, and water; cover and simmer on low heat for 50 minutes until meat is tender.

   

4. Add roasted eggplant slices and lemon juice to the stew, simmering gently for another 10 to 15 minutes without stirring heavily so eggplants stay intact. Meanwhile, cook basmati rice separately and serve the Khoresh Bademjan warm over or alongside the steamed rice.

   

A Besly kitchen recipe — portions, macros and step photos by Besly.