This Afghan eggplant dish, borani banjan, is a genius combination of roasted eggplant slices layered with tomato gravy and caramelized onions and topped with thick garlic-yogurt sauce. A must-try dish for those who love spice and flavor!
It's best to serve this easy and exquisite eggplant borani recipe with bread for dipping or Persian tahdig rice for an aromatic and satisfying vegetarian meal.
Eggplant borani is traditionally prepared from fried vegetables; roasted eggplant keeps the calories low, but you can also grill it if preferred!
What is Borani?
Generally, borani is a type of salad from Iranian cuisine, served as a cold starter; in Turkish cuisine, spinach borani is a popular dip.
We prefer this warm and cozy mezze of roasted eggplant from Afghanistan and usually pair it with another type of Afghan borani, this sweet and savory pumpkin bowrani appetizer.
Borani Banjan Variations
Several Middle Eastern countries have their version of this dish. You can also find this recipe spelled or transliterated as Bouranee Baunjan, Burani, or Bourani Banjan.
Typically, this dish is made by topping the peeled and thickly sliced fried eggplant with tomato sauce, caramelized onions, and yogurt-garlic sauce. Here are some other variations I found:
- You can cut the eggplant into cubes, fry them, and stew them together with tomatoes in a clay pot for a stew-like consistency (or cook in an instant pot to speed up the process).
- Puree the grilled vegetables into a creamy dip.
- Add green bell pepper and green chili pepper to the tomato gravy.
- You can layer the vegetables into a loaf pan and bake them as a casserole.
🛒 Ingredients and Notes
- Eggplants (aubergine) - any type will do, although dark purple (also called black or globe eggplant) is typically used. Pick medium size, firm fruit because it will have less seeds and more flesh.
- Tomatoes - one large, meaty tomato or 2-3 smaller ones. For thicker tomato gravy, use more tomatoes.
- Olive oil (not pictured) - substitute with avocado, grapeseed oil, vegetable, or canola.
- Yogurt - Greek-style thick yogurt is our preference, but you can use what's available.
- Garlic - Use as much garlic as you can tolerate.
- Cilantro - Replace with fresh mint or parsley.
🔪 Instructions
The full (printable) recipe and ingredient amounts can be found in the recipe box below.
Step 1 - Prep the Vegetables
- Roast eggplant slices and garlic wrapped in foil with oil until the eggplant is roasted and lightly browned.
- Meanwhile, sauté sliced onions until browned and slightly caramelized; remove onions from the pan with a slotted spoon.
- In the same pan, cook chopped tomatoes until they break down. Add tomato paste, water, turmeric, coriander, pepper, and salt to taste. Cook the sauce over medium-low heat until it begins to thicken.
- Combine yogurt, mashed roasted garlic cloves, and a pinch of salt; set aside.
Step 2 - Assemble Borani Banjan
- Layer half of the roasted eggplant slices in an 8-inch cast-iron skillet or baking dish.
- Top with half the tomato gravy.
- Add half the caramelized onions; repeat with the remaining ingredients.
- Cover with aluminum foil and roast in the oven. Uncover and bake to reduce the excess liquid. Serve with garlicky yogurt sauce.
- Serving size: This recipe will serve 2 people as a side and 4 as an appetizer. Double or triple the recipe if serving more people.
- Instead of salting the raw eggplants and letting them "sweat" to remove bitterness, you can soak them in salted water for 15 minutes, then drain and pat dry with paper towels.
- Add some dried mint to the finished dish in addition to cilantro.
- This dish is best served warm, but keep the yogurt sauce chilled.
- For a vegan version, use plant-based yogurt.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
No, that is totally up to you, but the skin on older fruit might be tough. When I cook this dish for my dinner guests, the skin stays on before roasting to give it a more elegant presentation. Another option is to partially peel it, creating strips lengthwise, or peel and cut it thicker so that slices don't fall apart as easily.
Yes, you can prep and layer the vegetables a few days in advance and keep them covered in the refrigerator. Bring it to room temperature before baking by removing it from the fridge 30 minutes before baking.
Best to serve roasted eggplant warm or at room temperature the day it is made. You will want pita, naan, or crusty bread to soak up its delicious sauce. Turn this scrumptious side dish into a substantial main meal by serving it with plain Basmati or Jasmine rice, vegetable rice, or Kurdish-style rice with crispy naan bread.
Store borani and yogurt in separate airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to three days.
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Afghan Roasted Eggplant (Borani Banjan)
EQUIPMENT
- 8-inch cast-iron skillet or baking dish
- sheet pan
- skillet (if using a baking dish)
- Paper towels
Ingredients
Borani banjan
Yogurt garlic sauce
- 1 cup plain yogurt, Greek style
- 3 cloves garlic
- Salt to taste
Instructions
Borani banjan
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
- EGGPLANTS: Rinse eggplants and cut the stems off. Cut into ½-inch-thick slices. Spread slices on a flat surface or tray and sprinkle generously with salt. Leave for 15 minutes, then rinse and pat dry with paper towels.
- GARLIC: Peel the garlic, crush, and place it on a piece of aluminum foil. Sprinkle with salt and drizzle with ½ teaspoon of olive oil. Wrap the foil around the garlic.
- ROAST: Place eggplant slices on a large (or two medium), greased baking sheet. Drizzle with 5 tablespoons olive oil. Place the garlic pouch on the sheet between the eggplant slices. Bake the eggplant and garlic for 20-30 minutes or until the eggplant is lightly browned. Don't worry if your thinner slices are dry; they will absorb the sauce later in the process.
- ONIONS: In a medium saucepan, heat one tablespoon of oil over medium-high heat. Sauté sliced onions until browned and slightly caramelized, then stir in red pepper flakes, if using. Remove onions from the pan with a slotted spoon.
- TOMATO GRAVY: Place tomatoes in the same pan and cook until they break down, about 8 minutes (add another tablespoon of oil if necessary). Add tomato paste, water, turmeric, coriander, pepper, and salt to taste. Cook the sauce over medium-low heat for 15 minutes or until it begins to thicken.
- ASSEMBLE: Layer half of the eggplant slices in an 8-inch cast iron skillet, baking dish, or loaf pan. Top the eggplant with half of the onions and half of the tomato sauce. Repeat with remaining ingredients.
- BAKE: Cover with aluminum foil and place in a preheated 350°F oven for 20-30 minutes. Uncover and bake 10 minutes longer, to reduce the excess liquid.
Yogurt garlic sauce
- Combine yogurt, mashed roasted garlic cloves, and a pinch of salt. Top eggplant with yogurt sauce. Sprinkle with cilantro, parsley, or mint and serve warm or at room temperature.
Notes
- Serving size: This recipe will serve two people as a side and four as an appetizer. Double or triple the recipe if serving more people.
- Instead of salting the raw eggplants and letting them "sweat" to remove bitterness, you can soak them in salted water for 15 minutes, then drain and pat dry with paper towels.
- Add some dried mint to the finished dish in addition to cilantro.
- This dish is best served warm, but you should chill the yogurt sauce.
- For a vegan version, use plant-based yogurt.
- For the best results, read additional tips in the post above.
- Please remember that nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary significantly based on the products used.
Nutrition
Update Notes: This recipe was originally published in November 2015 and updated in August 2022 with new photos and recipe tips.
Ron says
Jas, this looks wonderfully tasty. I'm thinking I'd like some homemade garlic naan with it...
Jas says
You're absolutely right, Ron! Homemade naan is perfect for this.