Mirza Ghasemi

میرزا قاسمی Mirza Ghasemi is a tasty and delicious dish from the northern region of Iran. Once you taste this dish you are going to fall in love with it, especially if you like eggplants and garlic. It's one of my favorites but of course I love any dish that has eggplants in it. This is a vegetarian no meat casserole, a combination of tomatoes, lots of garlic, mashed grilled eggplants with salt and pepper and turmeric as the only spice. Some people fry chopped onion along with the garlic. But as I understand it the authentic mirza ghasemi is cooked without any onion. It is usually served as a side dish, an appetizer or a light lunch.

Ingredients:
Serves 4

2 large eggplants
3 large tomatoes, remove the skin and chop into small pieces
7 garlic cloves, finely chopped
3 eggs, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon tomato paste
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon turmeric
Salt and pepper to taste

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Pierce the eggplants and bake for 40 minutes in the oven until soft in the inside and the skin is crispy on the outside. Or grill them on a barbecue grill until eggplants are well cooked. Set aside to cool. 
3. Remove the skin and mash the eggplant with a fork.
4. In a skillet saute chopped garlic in hot oil until light brown on medium heat. Add in the turmeric and stir. 
5. Add the mashed eggplant and cook for about 15-20 minutes, stirring thoroughly. 
6. Add chopped tomatoes, tomato paste, salt and pepper to the mix, stir well and cook for an additional 10-15 minutes over medium heat. 
7. Pour the beaten eggs over the eggplant mixture, stir until well blended. Cook for about 3-4 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning, if necessary.

Serve on a platter with warm bread and fresh herbs.

Enjoy!