Khoresh Bademjan - Eggplant Stew

خورش بادمجان Traditional Iranian lamb and eggplant stew with yellow split peas and tomatoes is a rich and flavorful dish and one of the favorites among many Iranians. I love the classic combination of velvety eggplant and tomatoes with tender lamb cubes in a tangy delicious tomato sauce with yellow split peas.

Khoresh Bademjan - Eggplant Stew

Ingredients:
Serves 6

1 pound lamb or beef, washed and cubed
2 large eggplant, peeled, sliced and salted--with 2 tablespoons of salt
2 medium tomatoes, peeled and chopped
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 cup yellow split peas, cleaned, washed
3 limoo amani (dried lime)
1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
Salt and pepper to taste
Juice of 1 lime, or to taste—or 2 tablespoons verjuice or 1 teaspoon gard-e ghooreh (unripe grapes) (ground sour grape)
Vegetable oil
Water

Method:

1. Place the salted eggplant in a large container filled with water,  place a heavy bowl or a heavy lid on top of the eggplant to hold them down for ten minutes, this will get rid of the bitterness. Remove eggplant, pat them dry make sure eggplants are dry before frying. 
2. Heat 1/2 cup of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat, fry eggplant slices in until brown on both sides. Remove from oil and place on a paper towel to remove excess oil.
3. In a small saucepan, add the peas, 1 1/2 cup water, salt, bring to a boil over medium heat, cook until tender but still firm. Drain, set aside
4. Gently place tomatoes in a pot of boiling water for about a minute or two, remove tomatoes from boiling water, place into a bowl of ice water and let them cool off. Peel the skin and chop the tomatoes. 
5. In a large saucepan, heat 3 tablespoons oil over medium-high heat, add chopped onions, saute until translucent, add minced garlic, stir and cook for about two minutes. Add turmeric powder, lamb cubes, salt, pepper. Mix thoroughly. Cook until meat is brown on all sides.  
6. Add chopped tomatoes, tomato sauce and water to cover all the ingredients by an inch. Bring back to a boil, lower the heat, cover and cook for 40 minutes on medium heat. 
7. Add yellow split peas, fried eggplant and dried lime. Add a little more water if needed. 
8. Cover and cook for another 20 minutes or until meat is tender. 
9. Add the lime juice or verjuice and 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, gently stir, cover and simmer for another 15 minutes on low heat, allowing all the flavors to come together.  

Serve hot with rice, fresh herbs, salad shirazi, torshi, or mast o khiar.

* I've tweaked this recipe a little bit and added the cinnamon toward the end of the cooking process.

Enjoy!