Royal Persian Eggplant Stew (Khoresh Bademjan)

Peel the eggplants and make a few shallow slits along their sides. Soak them in heavily salted water for about 2 hours to remove bitterness. Rinse thoroughly, pat dry, and fry in vegetable oil until golden and soft. Set aside.

In a large pot, heat a little oil over medium heat. Sauté the chopped onion with turmeric until translucent and fragrant. Add the garlic and cook briefly, then add the meat and brown on all sides.

Stir in the tomato paste, then add 8–10 cups of water. Bring to a boil, reduce to a gentle simmer, cover, and cook for about 2 hours until the meat is tender and about 5 cups of broth remain.

Arrange the fried eggplants in a wide pan in a single layer. Place the cooked meat in the center. Strain the cooking liquid and pour the clear broth over the eggplants and meat.

Add lemon juice and, if using, a splash of sour grape juice. Nestle optional green chili peppers among the eggplants.

Bring to a gentle boil, then add half of the dissolved saffron. Cover and simmer over low heat until the sauce begins to thicken.

Meanwhile, lightly fry the tomatoes in a small amount of oil until softened. In the final 10 minutes of cooking, arrange them over the eggplants and drizzle with the remaining saffron.

Cover, briefly increase heat to create steam, then reduce to low. Adjust salt and pepper and simmer for 10 more minutes before serving.

Serve hot, garnished with fresh herbs, ideally alongside steamed basmati rice.