Naz Khatoon - Persian Eggplant & Herb Salad with Walnuts & Verjuice - Mazandarani-Style

ناز خاتون Naz khatoon is a simple fire-roasted eggplant salad with freshly chopped aromatic and flavorful herbs, minced garlic, infused with verjuice dressing and topped with ground walnuts. I had heard of this dish in the past and all I knew was that it was a northern Iranian eggplant side dish and I was always intrigued by its name, naz khatoon. Naz (subtly coquettish) and khatoon (lady), literally meaning coquettish lady. However, it wasn't until recently that I began inquiring about it. As the saying goes in Iran, "jooyandeh yabandeh bovad" (one who searches always finds) and I finally found the recipe that I was looking for.

 A few weeks ago, a very kindhearted person that I know, who has been teaching Persian language classes on Saturdays with myself and a few other dedicated teachers, lent me a booklet on Iranian regional cooking. Luckily, in this thin old booklet I found the recipe for Naz khatoon with some information about the origin of the dish. Naz khatoon recipe is from the town of Behshahr which is also the capital of Behshahr county in Mazandaran province in the northern region of Iran along the Caspian Sea.

I tried to stay true to the original recipe but I made a few changes. The original recipe called for the use of local Behshahr basil and since that's not available here, I simply substituted the regular basil. The recipe suggests the option of using mint instead of basil. Since both herbs add a burst of flavor and aroma to any dish I decided on using both, with basil as the main herb and half a bunch of mint and flat-leaf parsley. I love the taste of verjuice and in my teens I remember coming home from school and drinking a glass of verjuice. The recipe called for half a bottle (about 2 cups) of verjuice. This amount may be adjusted to your liking. I used about 1 1/2 cups of verjuice for all the ingredients to be fully infused with it, but it may not be evident in the picture. I only used half the amount of liquid before taking photos for the blog so that the texture of the eggplant, herbs and walnuts would show. The only ingredient that was not included in the recipe but that I chose to add was a touch of olive oil before serving to make it easier on the palate.

Naz Khatoon - Persian Eggplant & Herb Salad with Walnuts & Verjuice - Mazandarani-Style

Ingredients:
Serves 4-6

3 medium-large eggplants, preferably fire-roasted, (I roasted it in the oven)
1 bunch basil, finely chopped, may use a combination of both purple and green basil, (I only used green basil)
1/2 bunch flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
1/2 bunch mint, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon ground golpar (angelica powder)
1 cup walnuts, ground
1  abghooreh (verjuice), add more if you prefer a more sour flavor
1-2 tablespoons olive oil *optional
Salt to taste

Method:

1. Pierce the eggplant in several places with a fork, place over medium-high fire on a stove or a grill until eggplant is soft. If you are roasting the eggplant in the oven place the pierced eggplants on a baking sheet and roast in a 400 degree Fahrenheit preheated oven for about 50 minutes or until fully cooked. Remove from the oven or the grill and allow to cool in a colander.
2. Remove the skin and chop eggplant finely. 
3. In a large bowl, combine chopped eggplant, basil, mint, parsley, garlic and angelica powder. Add salt to taste. 
4. Pour the verjuice over the eggplant and herb mixture. Mix well. Taste and adjust the seasoning.
5. Drizzle 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil over the salad.
6. Sprinkle ground walnuts over the salad.

Serve in a bowl with rice (kateh-style), bread and yogurt.

Enjoy!