Mirza Ghasemi

An oven-roasted Iranian-style eggplant, tomato, garlic and egg dish; not a charcoal-smoked version.

Preparation: 20 min · Cooking: 1 hr · Total: 1 hr 40 min · 2 servings

Ingredients

• Medium eggplants — 2
• Medium ripe tomatoes, chopped — 2
• 4 cloves Garlic cloves, minced
• Large egg — 1
• 2 tbsp Ghee (clarified butter; milk)
• Salt, to taste
• Ground black pepper, to taste

Instructions

1. Check the base and garlic scaling

   Use 2 medium eggplants, 2 tomatoes, 4 garlic cloves and 1 egg. Half uses 1 eggplant, 1 tomato, 2 cloves and 0.5 egg; whisk a whole egg and weigh out half its edible contents, keeping the rest refrigerated. Fourfold uses 8 eggplants, 8 tomatoes, 16 cloves and 4 eggs, not 2 garlic heads. Use the scaled ingredient list for 1–8 servings; all step quantities describe the 2-serving base. For 1 serving halve every ingredient; for 8 use four times every ingredient. Keep the same food thickness and use more pans or batches, not a deeper vessel. Temperatures and per-batch first-check times do not multiply.

   Fourfold uses 8 eggplants, 8 tomatoes, 16 cloves and 4 eggs, not 2 garlic heads.

2. Preheat and pierce the eggplants

   Preheat a conventional oven to 230°C. Wash and pierce eggplants with a fork and place on an oven-rated rimmed tray, spaced apart. Use more trays for larger batches.

   Use more trays for larger batches.

3. Roast until the flesh collapses

   Roast at 230°C from 40–50 minutes, turning safely as needed, until flesh is completely soft and collapsed and skins blister. This is oven roasting; charcoal-smoked flavour is not promised.

   This is oven roasting; charcoal-smoked flavour is not promised.

   Roast until the flesh collapses: 2700 seconds

4. Rest and remove the skins

   Rest covered from 10 minutes until safe to handle. Remove and discard skins, then mash the soft flesh; keep hot steam away from hands and face.

   Remove and discard skins, then mash the soft flesh; keep hot steam away from hands and face.

5. Make the garlic and tomato base

   Warm 2 tbsp ghee in a skillet over medium-low heat. Gently fry minced garlic from 1 minute without burning. Add chopped tomatoes, salt and pepper; cook until a thick moist base forms, not scorched dry.

   Add chopped tomatoes, salt and pepper; cook until a thick moist base forms, not scorched dry.

6. Combine and reduce gently

   Fold mashed eggplant into the tomato base. Cook over medium-low heat from 10 minutes, stirring until evenly combined and hot; colour alone is not a cooking or safety test.

   Cook over medium-low heat from 10 minutes, stirring until evenly combined and hot; colour alone is not a cooking or safety test.

7. Scramble the egg fully set

   Push vegetables to one side of the skillet. Add the egg to the clear space and scramble over medium-low heat until fully set, then fold through the vegetables. The egg-containing mixture must reach 71°C with no raw liquid pockets.

   The egg-containing mixture must reach 71°C with no raw liquid pockets.

8. Serve the cooked dish warm

   Serve warm after checking the centre. The half batch uses 1 tbsp ghee and the fourfold batch 8 tbsp; no extra cooking fat or turmeric is added. Refrigerate cooked leftovers promptly.

   Refrigerate cooked leftovers promptly.

Tips

• Use the scaled ingredient list for 1–8 servings; all step quantities describe the 2-serving base. For 1 serving halve every ingredient; for 8 use four times every ingredient. Keep the same food thickness and use more pans or batches, not a deeper vessel. Temperatures and per-batch first-check times do not multiply.

Common mistakes

• Use clean utensils and separate raw ingredients from ready-to-eat food. Refrigerate perishables at 4°C or colder; discard after more than 2 hours at room temperature, or 1 hour above 32°C.

Substitutions

• Keep the specified ingredients, preparation states and measured quantities; no unmeasured substitution is approved for this master.

Storage

Cover and refrigerate at 4°C or colder; use within 2 days, never beyond ingredient use-by limits. These are selected household limits, not validated shelf life. Cool cooked food promptly in shallow portions and refrigerate within 2 hours, or 1 hour above 32°C.

Reheating

Reheat once until steaming throughout and 74°C in the centre; do not rely on surface warmth.

About this recipe

An oven-roasted Iranian-style eggplant, tomato, garlic and egg dish; not a charcoal-smoked version.

Editorial approval does not establish independent kitchen testing. Check allergens and follow safe food handling.