Khorak Roz-e Bademjan (خوراک رز بادمجان) — Persian Eggplant Rose Bake with Spiced Meat Filling

• 2 lbeggplants (large, firm) (about 3 large eggplants)
• 10 gsalt (for salting eggplant to reduce bitterness)
• ¼ cupvegetable oil (for brushing and roasting)
• 7¾ ozyellow onion (grated)
• 1⅛ lbground beef (85–90% lean) (or half beef/half lamb)
• 12 ggarlic (minced) (about 4 cloves)
• 1.1 oztomato paste (about 2 tbsp)
• 1½ tspground cinnamon
• 1 tspblack pepper
• 1 tspturmeric
• 25 gfresh parsley (finely chopped) (about 1 loosely packed cup)
• 1egg
• ⅓ cupmilk
• 2½ ozbaguette breadcrumbs (fine crumbs from dried baguette)
• 1.1 cuptomato passata
• ⅝ cupwater

Instructions

1. 1

   Preheat the oven to 220°C. Line a large sheet pan with parchment so the eggplant releases cleanly and browns evenly.

2. 2

   Slice the eggplants lengthwise into long, thin planks about 3–4 mm thick. Sprinkle both sides with 10 g salt and rest for 20 minutes, then rinse and pat very dry so they roast instead of steaming.

3. 3

   Arrange the eggplant planks in a single layer and brush with 60 ml vegetable oil. Roast for 18–22 minutes, flipping once, until pliable and lightly golden; they must bend easily to form roses without cracking.

4. 4

   While the eggplant roasts, make the filling by heating a skillet over medium heat and adding the grated onion. Cook for 4–5 minutes until the onion’s moisture evaporates and it turns translucent, which prevents a watery filling.

5. 5

   Add ground meat and break it up thoroughly with a spoon. Cook for 7–9 minutes until browned and no pink remains, then stir in garlic and cook for 60 seconds to bloom its aroma without burning.

6. 6

   Stir in 30 g tomato paste, 1.5 tsp cinnamon, turmeric, black pepper, and 6 g salt. Cook for 2 minutes to caramelize the tomato paste slightly, then remove from heat and cool for 10 minutes so the egg binder does not scramble.

7. 7

   Transfer the cooled meat mixture to a bowl and mix in chopped parsley. Add the egg, milk, and baguette breadcrumbs, then mix until cohesive; the mixture should hold its shape when pressed, indicating it will bake into a neat core.

8. 8

   Grease a 23×33 cm baking dish with 15 ml vegetable oil. In a bowl, whisk passata, water, 20 g tomato paste, 0.5 tsp cinnamon, 2 g salt, and 0.5 tsp black pepper, then pour the sauce evenly into the dish.

9. 9

   Shape the eggplant roses by laying 2–3 roasted planks slightly overlapping into a long strip. Roll the strip into a spiral, stand it upright like a rose, and tuck the end underneath; repeat until you have 6 roses sized to fit the dish.

10. 10

    Fill each rose by gently opening the center and packing in the meat mixture, about 120–140 g per rose. Nest the roses into the sauce, spacing them evenly so the sauce can bubble up around the sides and keep them moist.

11. 11

    Cover the dish tightly with foil and bake at 200°C for 20 minutes so the flavors meld and the meat sets. Uncover and bake 12–15 minutes more until the tops deepen in color and the sauce is gently simmering at the edges.

12. 12

    Rest the dish for 10 minutes before serving to let the roses firm up for clean plating. Spoon a little tomato-cinnamon sauce around each rose and serve warm so the eggplant stays silky and aromatic.