Khoresh Bademjan (Persian Eggplant Stew) Recipe
Khoresh Bademjan is a traditional Persian eggplant stew featuring tender lamb, rich tomato sauce, and aromatic spices, slow-simmered to perfection and topped with fried onions and seared cherry tomatoes. This hearty and flavorful dish is perfect for a comforting family meal, served best with saffron rice and tahdig.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 45 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours 15 minutes
- Yield: 10 servings 1x
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Persian
Ingredients
Scale
Meat and Stew Base
- 2 pounds lamb stew meat (leg or shoulder with some bone, or 1½ lbs boneless meat)
- 1 teaspoon advieh (Persian spice mix)
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups water (more as needed)
- 1 15- ounce can tomato sauce (or 2½ cups chopped tomatoes)
- 3 dried limes (rinsed and pierced, or 2 tablespoons lime juice)
- ½ teaspoon saffron (ground and dissolved in 3 tablespoons hot water, optional)
- 2 tablespoons lime juice (more as per taste)
Vegetables
- 2 large onions (peeled, quartered and sliced thinly)
- 8 cherry tomatoes (rinsed and patted dry, or grape tomatoes)
- 4 cloves garlic (grated)
- 2 eggplants (large globe variety, peeled and sliced)
Oils and Fats
- ⅓ cup olive oil (more as needed, divided)
Instructions
- Fry Onions: Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in a wide dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add one-third of the sliced onions and sauté until light golden brown and crisp, about 10 to 15 minutes. Add a pinch of salt halfway through cooking. Use a slotted spoon to transfer fried onions to a plate.
- Sear Cherry Tomatoes: In the same dutch oven, add the cherry tomatoes and sear on all sides until their edges are dark brown. Transfer tomatoes to the plate with fried onions.
- Sauté Onions and Garlic: Add remaining sliced onions to the pot and sauté until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add grated garlic and stir for about 1 minute until aromatic.
- Brown Meat: Push sautéed onions to the pot’s edge or remove to a plate. Add more olive oil if needed. Arrange the lamb pieces in a single layer and increase heat to high. Sear meat quickly on both sides for about 3 minutes per side until golden brown, taking care not to cook through.
- Add Spices and Liquids: Add advieh, turmeric, black pepper, and salt to meat and onions mixture. Stir to combine. Add water, tomato sauce, dried limes, and saffron water (if using). Stir well.
- Simmer Stew: Bring mixture to a boil, cover with a lid, reduce heat to low, and simmer until meat is about 80% cooked, stirring occasionally, about 1¼ to 1½ hours.
- Prepare Eggplants: Preheat oven to 425 ºF. If using large globe eggplants, cut in half lengthwise, then slice into ½ inch thick pieces. Brush both sides with 2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil.
- Bake Eggplants: Arrange eggplant slices on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake until tender and fork soft, about 25 minutes.
- Add Eggplants to Stew: Cut roasted eggplant slices if too large, then add to the dutch oven along with lime juice. Continue simmering until eggplants are soft and integrated, about 30 minutes.
- Final Simmer and Serve: The sauce will thicken and oil will rise to the surface. Meat should be very tender and falling off the bone. Adjust seasoning as needed. Top with reserved fried onions and seared cherry tomatoes, cook another 10 minutes. Serve hot with Persian saffron rice and tahdig.
Notes
- If you prefer, eggplants can be pan-fried instead of baked for a richer flavor.
- Dried limes provide authentic tanginess; if unavailable, substitute with fresh lime juice but adjust quantity to taste.
- Saffron is optional but enhances depth of flavor and color.
- Use bone-in lamb for more flavor, but boneless works well too.
- Advieh spice mix typically contains cinnamon, cardamom, cumin, and coriander; it can be purchased or homemade.
Keywords: Khoresh Bademjan, Persian eggplant stew, lamb stew, Persian cuisine, slow simmered stew, eggplant recipes
