Mela Ghormeh is a simple, delicious vegetarian Persian stew (ghormeh) from the Caspian region of Iran, primarily featuring eggplant (mela/
Ingredients
- Eggplants (2 medium Italian or 4 Asian eggplants), peeled and cut into cubes
- Olive oil (about 1/2 cup, divided)
- Onion (1 large), diced
- Garlic (4 cloves), minced
- Turmeric, salt, and pepper to taste
- Tomatoes (about 1 cup Roma), diced
- Tomato paste (optional, for color and depth)
- Fresh parsley (about 1/2 cup), finely chopped
- Fresh mint (about 1/4 cup), finely chopped (or dried mint)
- Sour grapes (Ghooreh) or lemon juice(juice of 1 lemon), for tanginess
- Water (about 1 cup)
- Eggs (4, optional), for poaching in the stew
Instructions
- Prepare the eggplant: Cut the eggplants into cubes. Sprinkle generously with salt and let them sit for about an hour to draw out the bitterness, then rinse and pat dry.
- Sauté aromatics: In a large pan, heat some oil and sauté the diced onion until golden. Add the minced garlic and turmeric and cook for another couple of minutes. Remove the onion mixture and set it aside.
- Fry the eggplant: Add the remaining oil to the same pan and fry the eggplant cubes until golden brown and tender, stirring occasionally.
- Combine and simmer: Return the onion mixture to the pan with the eggplants. Add the diced tomatoes, chopped parsley and mint, sour grapes (or lemon juice), salt, and pepper. Add about a cup of water, gently stir, cover, and bring to a gentle simmer.
- Cook: Reduce the heat to low and let it simmer for about 15-30 minutes, or until the eggplant is completely cooked and the flavors have melded.
- Add eggs (optional): At the end of cooking, you can crack eggs directly into the stew and cover the pan until they are cooked to your liking.
- Serve: Mela Ghormeh is typically served warm with rice or bread.
