Original 1 Original 2

Ingredients

• 1 lb boneless stew meat (lamb shoulder, beef cross rib roast, etc)

• 1 tsp turmeric (ground)

• 1 tsp salt

• freshly ground black pepper, to taste

• cayenne powder, to taste

• olive oil

• 1 yellow onion, diced (1/2 for now, 1/2 for later)

• 2 lbs eggplant, any variety, peeled

• olive oil

• 3 Tbsp tomato paste

• (optional, Laura-only addition) 2lbs carrots, peeled and cut into 1/4 inch rounds

• 28 oz crushed or diced canned tomatoes

• 1 cup frozen sour grapes (ghooreh) (Do not thaw). May substitute with fresh or pickled sour grapes (rinsed and drained), 4 crushed limoo amani (dried Persian lime), or 3-4 Tbsp fresh lime juice, or lemon juice, or sour grape juice.

• 1 tsp kosher salt

• 1/8 tsp saffron powder (optional)

• rice, for serving (optionally, make Persian-style rice)

Baked eggplant prep

1. Preheat the oven to 450 F, center rack.
2. Remove and discard the stems. Peel the eggplants and cut them in half, or 1-inch slices if you’re using the American globes.
3. Add the slices to a large bowl and toss with 1/4 -1/3 cup vegetable oil, just enough to barely cover both sides with oil.
4. Cover a large baking sheet with an aluminum foil, letting it extend on all sides to catch any possible splatter. Drizzle one tablespoon vegetable oil on the aluminum foil. Arrange the eggplants on the foil in a single layer.
5. Bake for 20-25 minutes in the preheated oven. The eggplants are ready when you can easily poke them with a fork. Switch the oven temperature to broil setting, with the baking sheet still on the center rack, and broil for 2 minutes to brown the tops.
6. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and cool the baked eggplants in the pan for 20 minutes. The eggplants will easily separate from the aluminum foil with a spatula once cooled. If you try to remove them before they cool, they will stick to the foil.
7. Use the baked eggplants right away or refrigerate for up to 2 days. At this stage the eggplant also freezes very well in an airtight freezer proof container for a month. When ready to use, defrost at room temperature for 30-45 minutes and use in the recipes.

Stew prep

1. Cut meat into ~2-inch cubes if it isn’t already, and in a bowl add 1 tsp ground turmeric, 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper (or to personal preference), and cayenne powder (to personal preference)
2. Dice ½ the onion and saute in olive oil until softened and browned
3. Add the meat and brown it
4. Add 3 cups water (just enough to cover the meat and onions) and then pressure cook (once pressure has started, cook for 15 minutes)

Combining the two

1. Heat 3 Tbsp vegetable oil and fry the other ½ onion over medium heat until golden brown.
2. Add 3 Tbsp tomato paste to the fried onions and saute over medium low heat for 5 minutes until aromatic.
3. If a heathen like Laura, add the carrots and fry until somewhat golden
4. Add the canned tomatoes, the broth of the cooked beef and 1 tsp kosher salt and stir to incorporate with the onion mixture. Bring it to a boil to make a sauce.
5. Add the cooked meat, baked eggplants, sour grapes, and the optional saffron and bring it to another boil. Add extra water if needed but only in small amounts so the sauce is not watered down.
6. Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer for 45 minutes to an hour until the sauce has thickened and the meat, eggplants, (and carrots if you’re a heathen like Laura) are very tender. It should be pleasantly tart, so adjust the seasoning with salt and lime juice as needed.
7. Serve over rice.

• Dinner
• Lunch
• Soup