Gheime Bademjoon is a traditional Persian dish made with fried eggplant, yellow split peas, tomato paste, and beef or lamb. Here’s a recipe to make Gheime Bademjoon:
Ingredients:
- 1 lb. stew meat (beef or lamb), cubed
- 2 large eggplants
- 1 cup yellow split peas, soaked for 2 hours
- 2 onions, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tbsp. tomato paste
- 1 tsp. turmeric
- 1 tsp. cinnamon
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1/2 tsp. black pepper
- 2 tbsp. vegetable oil
- 2 dried limes (limu omani)
- 4 cups water
- 2 tbsp. lemon juice
Instructions:
- Heat 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the meat and brown it on all sides. Remove the meat from the pot and set it aside.
- Add another tablespoon of vegetable oil to the same pot. Add the chopped onions and minced garlic, and sauté for 5-7 minutes, or until the onions are golden brown.
- Add the tomato paste, turmeric, cinnamon, salt, and black pepper to the pot, and sauté for another 2-3 minutes.
- Add the browned meat and yellow split peas to the pot. Add 4 cups of water to the pot and bring it to a boil.
- Cover the pot and let the stew simmer over low heat for 1 hour.
- While the stew is cooking, prepare the eggplants. Cut them into small cubes and sprinkle them with salt. Set them aside for 30 minutes to remove any bitterness.
- Rinse the eggplants and pat them dry with paper towels.
- Heat 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the cubed eggplants and fry until golden brown. Remove the eggplants from the skillet and place them on a paper towel to drain.
- Add the fried eggplants to the stew and let them simmer with the stew for another 30-45 minutes, or until the stew thickens and the eggplants are soft.
- Pierce the dried limes with a fork and add them to the stew. Let the stew simmer for another 30 minutes.
- Add the lemon juice to the stew, and stir well.
- Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary.
- Serve the Gheime Bademjoon hot with Persian rice.
Enjoy your delicious homemade Gheime Bademjoon!