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Most Iranian/Persian dishes are quite time consuming and need patience and tedious work. It is well worth the effort. Anytime I make one of these tedious, time consuming dishes, I reminisce about my Mother and my childhood. My Mother was always in the kitchen, preparing all kinds of food. Everything was homemade… jams, preserves, pickles, tomato paste, yogurt, etc etc etc. She would send us off to school in her apron, and when she greeted us back from school, she was still in her apron, in the kitchen. And, she would give us news about what we were having for dinner!
When we got home from school and spotted lipstick on our Mother’s lips, we knew she had been out. Spontaneously, with excitement, we would ask, “Where were you? Where were you?”. We always knew she must have been shopping at the department store[1]. That meant, we were going to be served something special for dessert, other than fruits, such as fancy cakes!
Mirza Ghassemi[2] is a Northern Iranian, Gilan province originated appetizer or main. The dish is based on grilled eggplant (aubergine) distinct to the Caspian Sea region. The dish consists of eggplants with fair amounts of tomatoes and garlic, cooked with oil/butter, seasoned with tumeric, salt, pepper and eggs. Eggs are one of the key ingredients, fried before mixed with the other ingredients. Eggs are not meant to be used as binding agent. The dish is not intended to be an omelet.
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[1] Department stores in Japan have up to 3 basement floors dedicated to sale of food products.
[2] Mirza is a historical title of Persian origin, denoting the rank of a high nobleman or Prince. It is usually defined in English as a royal or imperial Prince of the Blood. Ghassem is a male name. Hearsay… ‘Prince Ghassem made this dish to please his jealous mistress.’ What? 😮
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Mirza Ghassemi • میرزا قاسمی • Smoked Eggplant Tomato & Garlic
Recipe by: Fae’s Twist & Tango (fae-magazine.com)
INGREDIENTS
• 570 g/ 1¼ lb/ 6 Japanese eggplants (narrower eggplants for fewer seeds and to cook to the core)
• 680 g/ 1½ lb/ 6 ripe tomatoes
• 65 g/ 1 head garlic – makes about 2 Tbsp mashed & roasted (2 in the photo, but I used only 1 head)
• 3 large eggs (may be skipped for vegans, increase vegetables or reduce the seasonings accordingly)
• 1 tsp turmeric powder
• 1¼ tsp salt
• ½ tsp ground black pepper
• 3 Tbsp + ½ tsp olive oil, vegetable oil or butter, divided
DIRECTIONS
◊ To roast the garlic… Place rack on middle oven shelf and preheat to 200°C / 400°F.
◊ Trim the top off the head of garlic to just expose the tops of the garlic cloves. Drizzle with ½ tsp of oil over the exposed cloves. Wrap in foil and bake for 40 ~ 45 minutes. (Comprehensive post on → how to roast garlic.)
◊ While the garlic is roasting… Insert tines of a fork all over the eggplants. Grill the eggplants and tomatoes on medium fire over the grill until well charred. Remain at the grill because this will take less than 10 minutes. Remove from the fire and let them cool down. (Eggplants are best when grilled over open fire, charcoal or gas grill. They may also be grilled on the top shelf of an oven until charred, with a tray on the lower shelf to catch the drippings.)
◊ As soon as they are cool enough to touch, remove the charred skin from the tomatoes and mash them (I removed the seeds too, but it is not necessary). Pour the mashed tomatoes into a small, non-stick saucepan. Add 1 Tbsp oil and on medium heat, stirring occasionally, let the excess liquid evaporate (not dry).
◊ Carefully remove the charred skin from the eggplants by pushing index finger under the skin to separate from the flesh. It is preferred to mash the eggplants rather than chopping them.
◊ When roasted garlic is cool enough to touch, squeeze the cloves out of their cases and mash.
◊ Add 1 Tbsp oil to a medium sized, non-stick fry-pan and place it on medium heat. First, add the mashed garlic and sautée, using a wooden spoon, for 20 seconds. Add the mashed eggplants and sautée for 1 minute. Add the mashed tomatoes, turmeric, salt, pepper, and sautée for 2 ~ 3 minutes or until visible liquids have evaporated. Push the mixture to the half side of the fry-pan. Add 1 Tbsp oil in the empty half and crack in three sunny-side-up eggs. Once the eggs start cooking and hardening, break the yolks with the wooden spoon and scramble the eggs. Then mix the scrambled eggs with the eggplant mixture. (Eggs are not meant to be used as binding agent. The dish is not intended to be an omelet.)
◊ Dish out into a shallow serving bowl or a plate and serve with lavash/bread or croccantini crackers, as appetizer. It can also be served with breads and salads as a meal.
~ Noushe jan • نوش جان ~
Eggplants are best when grilled over open fire, charcoal or gas grill. They may also be grilled on the top shelf of an oven until charred, with a tray on the lower shelf to catch the drippings.
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So, what’s cooking in your kitchen?
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Loved the story of your mom. Sounded like most Persian moms of the older generation. I had this dish twice in my lifetime when visiting Caspian Sea and loved it. I love any dish with eggplant. I have a question. what would be a good substitute for egg for those with egg allergy. Thanks in advance 🙂
I love eggplants (very much) too. Eggs in this dish are meant to be one of the ingredients and not the bounding agent. Therefore, you can omit it, or use egg substitute (which I’ve never used). Read → this article which may help.
Beautiful and easy recipe! I love Persian food and trying to learn more about it. Also, I loved the sweet memory you shared.
Hi Gloria, I have, and still posting, many Persian recipes. Please do give them a try and let me know how it turns out for you. 🙂
Love the sounds of this, Fae. My ears always perk up when I hear eggplant in included! I think I would love this as an appetizer. So nice to read about the memories of your mom too!
Thank you, Nancy! Stay tuned, soon, I have another Persian eggplant dish I also am sure you would like it! 🙂
You always present so much more than a recipe, Fae, and I very much appreciate your efforts. Adding egg to the eggplant is a flavor combo I know well. Mom served me leftover caponata with egg for lunch. Granted, it was more omelet-like than this dish but the eggs and eggplant went quite well together
Thank you always, for your kind words. Persian/Iranian cuisine has another dish, along side what your Mom served you, called kuku bademjan (eggplant fritatta) which is fried eggplant (and a few more ingredients) bound by eggs. Coming up soon! 😀
Fae, I loved the story about your mother…she sounds wonderful. Speaking of wonderful, your recipe is one that I know I would like with all its smoky flavors.
– There isn’t a day I don’t think of my Mother with fond memories. Everything I see, touch, cook, eat… just everything.
– It takes a little effort to peel the char peels, but it is all well worth it. 🙂
Summer is on the way. (Along with lots and lots of eggplants.) I can tell you some of those eggplants will be going into this lovely recipe.
Gina
Hi Gina, You are write, produce are abundant and best tasting in the summer. Also, best time for grilling. Let me know how you like the dish. 🙂
I wish I could have gas stove to grill everything properly! This dish reminds me the Turkish babaganoush which I love, except for eggs… am I wrong? Thanks a lot Fae for another amazing recipe of yours!
Thank you, Margherita. You can grill the eggplant in your oven top shelf or if you have a gas stove, directly on the burning fire. The only thing this recipe has in common with babaganoush is the charring of the eggplants. Babaganoush is the beginning stage of this recipe. If you like babaganoush, you would love this recipe. 🙂
Thank you for another awesome recipe with your usual touch to enhance the taste and texture! I have to try your recipe one of these days, I’m absolutely in love with roasted garlic and I bet it adds a lot of special flavor to this Shomali dish.
Thank you for your lovely comment, as always! I thought, while grilling the eggplants, why not all the ingredients! I love your Mirza Ghasemi very much too! I had the pleasure of being introduced to and tasting mirza ghassemi for the first time, a long, long time ago. I did not have the recipe, I was just told what’s in it and that the eggplants are grilled. Then, a Shomali told me how the eggs should be added. Voila!
I stayed with this final recipe, and it’s been appreciated. 😀
This sounds like a great way to use eggplant! Especially since I love garlic and tomatoes, too! 🙂
If you like everyone of these ingredients, and you like smoked flavor, this is the dish for you! 🙂
Very unique, healthy dish! Thanks for the cultural background info!
You are right, Chiris, it is one of a kind. Thank you. 🙂
This appetiser sounds incredibly delicious Fae! I can almost see your mom from your lovely, nostalgic narrative! Hope to see you at Fiesta Friday xx
Thank you for your kind words, Naina! This smoked eggplant and whey’ed eggplant are the two favorite dishes always found in the appetizer section of Persian restaurant menu. 🙂
I Iove this post! I love reading about your Mum – my life sounds the same as hers, always in the kitchen, making everything from scratch and feeding my family – and I love making time consuming middle eastern food, it’s always worth the effort! And I LOVE this recipe!! xxx
Especially you, Sweet Elaine, with all the fresh vegetables and healthy approach you put into your cooking! I’m glad you appreciate smoked vegetables, surely, it is a taste category all by itself. We were visiting each other’s blog at the same time today! 😀
We were, I love it!!!!
Yes, the smoked element just makes the vegetables even better ???
Fae, this is an interesting dish and sounds so delicious! I think you picked up all the cooking skill from the mother in your childhood! 🙂
Hi Mochi! Good to see you! Yes, interesting dish is a good way of putting it! 😀 ))) It really is delicious, if you appreciate smoked taste. I am still trying to create my Mother’s taste, flavor and techniques, and still not quite there. 😉
Oh what a beautiful smoked eggplant and tomato pie. Loved the history behind it too Fae. You always weave a beautiful story of your growing up years and your culture. Thanks for educating us 🙂
Thank you, Loretta! I grew up with two of my sisters, a year apart each and I am the youngest. We are still very close and live within driving distance of each other. We keep memories of our childhood alive in three languages… and it is so much fun. This is one of those dishes that you keep digging in non-stop, if smoked taste is appreciated. 🙂
I like the way you made this dish Fae, grilling your veggies and then roasted garlic. I can just imagine how this tasted. Can’t wait to get my grill going, once this cold weather is over 🙂 I like your pewter? plate!
One of those recipes that process of making it is just as rewarding as consuming it! 😀 ))) This platter was the first Wilton-Armetale I owned. Since, I have added a few more in different designs. This one, I keep handy and use for many of my applications. 😀
Food and memories seem to be something that all cultures can relate to. Thanks for sharing your memories. 🙂
Thank you, dear Merril. I guess that is how our loved ones continue to be with us. With memories of senses… smell and taste. 🙂
I must say, Fae, I love how you started doing step by step recipes. It might be complicated, but just seeing the process makes things a lot easier. Also, the story of your mom sounds like the story of my life, I’m always in the kitchen, creating food and memories for my children 😀
– Darling Vera, every time I see the photos of your three precious daughters, I think of my childhood. My sisters and I grew up as three sisters, one year apart in age. When I was writing this post, I did think of you too. We had a very pretty Mom, like your daughters do, and wanted to be just like her when we grew up.
– As for step-by-step 😀 ))) I am trying. Especially for recipes that are feasible. I admire bloggers like you who take such a due diligence in recording every step with photo illustration. Love your blog! 🙂
You’re too sweet! Thank you, dear!
Lovely eggplant recipe. This veggie is one of my personal favorite. I cook smoked egg plants in an Indian recipe called ” Baingan ka Bharta”. Looks very similar but method is different. It is thrilling to see how similar yet how different our world cuisines are!!! Thanks for the awesome post dear! 🙂
Yes, Saritha, I am in total agreement with you. When I see Indian cuisine, I find so much similarity. In Persian/Iranian cuisine we don’t use as many as varieties of spices (especially the hot ones) but when it comes to techniques of fusing flavors, we both are masters and I think our cuisines are two of the best! 😀 ))) Don’t you think? 🙂