Bouranee Baunjan (Eggplant with yoghurt sauce)

Bouranee Baunjan is Afghan eggplant dish with yogurt sauce. The tangy, garlic-laced yogurt contrasts nicely with the sweet tomato sauce and tender eggplant. It’s garnished with dried mint (don't use fresh), which you can find in the spice section of a supermarket or in a Middle Eastern market.When it’s done, serve it with flat bread for scooping up all the last bits of deliciousness.

Ingredients

• 4 medium eggplants
• salt
• oil
• 2 medium onions sliced
• 1 green pepper seeded and sliced
• 2 large ripe tomatoes peeled
• salt
• ¼ teaspoon hot chile peppers
• ¼ cup water

Chakah

• 2 cups drained yogurt
• 2 cloves garlic
• salt to taste

Directions

1. Cut the stems from the eggplants and leave peel.
2. Slice into 1 cm pieces.
3. Spread on a tray and sprinkle slices liberally with salt.
4. Leave for 30 minutes, then dry well with paper towels.
5. Pour enough oil into skillet with a lid, to cover base well.
6. Fry eggplant until lightly browned on each side.
7. Do not cook completely.
8. Lift onto a plate.
9. Add more oil as required for remaining slices.
10. As oil drains out of eggplant, return this to the pan and add onions.
11. Fry gently till translucent.
12. Remove to another plate.
13. Place a layer of eggplant back into the pan.
14. Top with some sliced onion, green pepper rings and tomato slices.
15. Repeat using remaining ingredients and adding a little salt and the chile between layers.
16. Pour in any remaining oil from the eggplant.
17. Add onion and water, cover and simmer gently for 10 – 15 minutes.
18. Combine chakah ingredients and spread half the sauce into base of serving dish.
19. Top with vegetables, lifting eggplant gently to keep slices intact.
20. Leave some of the juices in the pan.
21. Top vegetables with the rest of the chakah and drizzle the remaining juices over it.
22. Serve with flat bread.