Khoresht Bademjoumn

Disclaimer: I am not Persian. This recipe my mother learned from Fatima in Tehran when we lived there in 1973. I grew up eating this dish and learned it at my mother's elbow. It was also a company dish and many people claiming to hate eggplant enjoyed this dish.

• Preparation Time: 20 mins
• Cooking Time: 60 mins
• Total Time: 1 hr 20 mins
• Calories: 527 Calories

Ingredients

• ¼ cup butter
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon water
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 cups water
• 1 large onion, chopped
• ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
• 2 cups basmati rice
• 1 (12 ounce) can tomato sauce
• 1 pound beef stew meat
• 1 (12 ounce) can diced tomatoes
• 1 pound eggplant, sliced into 1-inch rounds
• 1 teaspoon salt as needed

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Rinse rice in a sieve until water runs clear. Pour into a bowl, cover with water. Leave to soak for 1 hour or overnight.

Step 2

Toss eggplant with salt in a separate bowl; let set for 1 hour. Rinse salt from eggplant in a colander; cut into 1-inch cubes.

Step 3

Toss stew meat with cinnamon and turmeric in a separate bowl.

Step 4

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add stew meat and cook until browned on all sides, about 5 minutes. Remove from pan; set aside. Add eggplant, onion, and diced tomatoes to the skillet; cook and stir until onion is translucent, about 7 minutes. Return stew meat to the pan; add tomato sauce. Cover skillet and lower heat to medium-low; cook until meat is tender and sauce has thickened, about 40 minutes.

Step 5

While the beef is cooking, prepare the rice. Bring 4 cups water to a rapid boil in a saucepan; drain rice. Add rice and 1 teaspoon salt to saucepan; boil until partially cooked, about 11 minutes. Drain rice in sieve; return saucepan to medium heat. Melt 2 tablespoons butter and 1 tablespoon water together in the saucepan. Spoon rice back into saucepan a spoonful at a time. Dot remaining butter on top of the rice, cover tightly and lower heat to medium-low; cook for 30 minutes.

Step 6

Remove both the rice and the eggplant mixture from heat and let stand for 10 minutes. Before serving, carefully place a serving dish on top of the saucepan and invert rice onto serving dish. Transfer stew into a serving bowl and serve with rice.