Borani Banjan

Peel the eggplant (4). Cut them through the middle horizontally and then slice them into 1 cm thick planks. Heat the vegetable oil (1.25 cup) in a sauté pan over high heat.

When the oil is hot, carefully add a few eggplant slices. Cook until golden, about 2 - 3 min per side. Transfer the fried eggplant to a strainer set over a bowl to allow any excess oil to drain. Repeat until all the eggplants are cooked. Start 3m timer

There should be leftover oil in the pan after frying the eggplant. For the following steps, we will need 0.25 cup (60 ml) of oil. Reduce the temperature to medium. Add the clove (4 garlic) (careful as it may splatter). Cook until fragrant and golden, about 30 seconds. Stir throughout.

Add the chili (2 green), tomato (3 chopped), tomato paste (2 tbsp), ground turmeric (0.5 tsp), and salt (1 tsp). Stir and cook for another 1 - 2 minutes. Start 2m timer

Drop the heat to medium-low. Place the sliced onions (1 yellow) over the sauce in a single layer. Then lay half the eggplant over the onions, layer the tomatoes (2) slices over that, and finish with the remaining eggplant slices. Cover the pan and cook until the onions are soft, about 20 minutes. Start 20m timer

Meanwhile, make the sauce by combining the soy yogurt (1 cup), clove (2 garlic), and salt (0.5 tsp) in a small bowl.

Add some of the yogurt sauce to the base of a serving dish. Then scoop up the eggplant, tomato, and onion mixture and transfer it to the dish. Remove the peppers from the bottom of the pan and place them decoratively on top. Scoop up any remaining sauce and drizzle over the dish.

Finish with another drizzle of yogurt sauce, dried mint (0.5 tsp), and paprika powder (0.5 tsp) for garnish. Serve with [null whole wheat pita bread] and enjoy!