Persian Roasted Eggplant Dip: Mirza Ghasemi
Mirza Ghasemi is a traditional Persian roasted eggplant dip made with garlic, tomato, and warming spices. Rich, smoky, and deeply flavorful, it’s a comforting dish that can be served as an appetizer or a side with fresh bread.
Ingredients
- 3 large eggplants
- 1 large onion finely chopped
- 6-7 cloves of garlic chopped
- 1 small red bell pepper finely chopped
- 1 small chili finely chopped
- 1 egg lightly beaten
- 2-3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon freshly chopped parsley or cilantro
- a handful of toasted almonds or pine seeds
Instructions
- Wash and dry the whole eggplants.
- Using a fork, prick the eggplants all over their skin surface.
- Preheat the oven to 200° C (390° F), and roast the eggplants for about 40 minutes, turning them halfway to get an even roast.
- You could alternatively do this step on a grill.
- Place the roasted eggplants in a bowl and cover with a lid or plate for 10 minutes. This helps loosen the skin and makes peeling easier.
- Meanwhile, add the olive oil to a saucepan and sauté the onions, garlic, bell pepper and chili until tender, about 5-10 minutes.
- Add the tomato paste, spices, salt, and pepper. Cook for 1 minute to release the aroma, then remove from heat.
- Once the eggplants have cooled, peel and finely chop the eggplants with a knife or pulse them briefly in a food processor.
- Add the chopped eggplants to the saucepan with the sautéed onion mixture and cook on low for about 10 minutes.
- Crack the egg into the pan and mix gently until fully incorporated. The egg gives this dish body and creaminess.
- Cook for a further 5 minutes.
- Remove from heat and serve warm or cold, sprinkled with some parsley and toasted almonds.
- Enjoy!
Notes
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