Borani Banjan

Rich, savory, spiced, and the perfect addition to any meal. Borani banjan and the tale of Paul the cyborg puffin and Rufus the Raucous Rooster is what you need tonight.

A delicious Afghani dish to its core, this dish is incredibly easy to make and is absolutely delicious! I’m partial to bharta however, the first time I had borani banjan I knew I was hooked. Let’s just clarify two things before we go further: Eggplant is delicious, and bharta is a Punjabi dish and should be prepared in the Punjabi way. Variations rarely have the smoky flavor and often have too much floaty or lumpy crap in it. So back to: go east, go west, Punjab is best.

I do love Punjab-isms. My FAVORITE of all time being Jatt risky after balti whisky. Pure comedic gold, I tell you. Also, not 100% wrong either. In fact, I’d dare say quite accurate. Ask a certain Mr. , and he would likely agree. But back to this dish, it’s delightfully easy to make, absolutely delicious, and not a looker, so even if you don’t get it exactly right, it will be amazing. The flavors are warm and spicy, and it’s just a wonderful hearty comfort food. Also, I always find that nearly anything eggplant satiates the best of carnivores.

Now, on to the important things. Paul the cyborg puffin. I know we’ve briefly discussed the love story of Gerard and Susan, but Paul was different. He was a strong and independent puffin, the type to never settle down or share his schematics. But then came along Lola. She was a goddess. 7’2, 360 lbs, flowing crimson locks, and a villainous plan to turn Paul into scrap metal and Rufus into curry. Both men with unyielding devotion could never have prepared for such a woman or such treachery. However, fear not, faithful reader, for Jolly Sing Dhillon will save the day. After Lola cruelly stewed Tommy, the rooster, in the prime of his life, Jolly vowed that he would not rest until Lola was stopped from ruining other innocent lives. Never again would Tommy chase the rain, chew on his favorite squeaky toy, or enjoy a fine cigar on a cold winter night. This is a tale of intrigue, love, heartache, and triumph over evil. It’s got it all. A bit like a delicious borani banjan.

No real hiccups or things to worry about in this recipe. It’s all very straightforward. I just suggest not drizzling the yogurt while the food is still boiling hot. Beyond that, I’d suggest serving it alongside reshmi kebab, pulao, and raita. Until the next edition of Paul and Rufus. Make merry.

Borani Banjan

5.0 from 1 vote

Course: Main CoursesCuisine: AfghaniDifficulty: Easy

Servings

Adjust servings

+

–

6

servings

Prep time

20

minutes

Cooking time

30

minutes

Resting time

30

minutes

Total time

1

hour 

20

minutes

Tender fried eggplant layered with warmly spiced tomato sauce, cool garlic-mint yogurt, and fresh cilantro. Rich, tangy, and made for scooping up with warm naan.

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Ingredients

• Eggplant:

• 3 large eggplant, sliced crosswise ½ inch thick

• 4 tbsp neutral oil, plus more as needed

• 6 cloves garlic, minced

• 3 green chiles, finely chopped

• 1 tsp tomato paste

• 4 medium tomatoes, diced

• 1/2 tsp turmeric

• 1 tbsp cumin

• 1 tsp chili powder

• salt, to taste

• 3/4 cup water

• Pepper, to taste

• 2 tbsp cilantro, finely chopped

• Yogurt Sauce:

• 1 cup plain whole milk yogurt, whisked

• 2 cloves garlic, minced

• salt, to taste

• pepper, to taste

• 1 tsp dried mint

• Assembly:

• 1 tbsp dried mint

• 1/4 cup cilantro, minced

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Equipment/Specialty Items

• 
  Cumin SeedsCumin Seeds
• 
  Dried MintDried Mint

Directions

• Eggplant:
• Salt the sliced eggplant and set aside for 30 minutes.
• Rinse the eggplant and pat dry.
• In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat.
• Lightly fry eggplant, until light golden brown and cooked through, and set aside.
• Add the garlic and green chilies to the same skillet and sauté for 2 minutes.
• Stir in tomato paste and tomatoes. Cover and cook for 5-7 minutes or until tomatoes are cooked through and very soft.
• Stir in the turmeric, cumin, chili powder, salt, and water. Simmer uncovered until the sauce has thickened and is no longer watery, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in the cilantro and black pepper.
• Turn off heat and set aside.
• Yogurt Sauce:
• Whisk yogurt, garlic, salt, pepper, and mint together.
• Assembly:
• Arrange a layer of fried eggplant on a serving platter. Spoon some of the tomato sauce over the eggplant, then sprinkle with dried mint and cilantro. Repeat the layers until all the eggplant is used. Finish with the remaining tomato sauce and drizzle with the yogurt sauce.
• Serve hot with rice or naan.

Notes

• You can make ahead but make sure to add the yogurt sauce when serving. You can also serve the sauce separately.

Nutrition Facts

• Serving Size: 1 serving
• Total number of serves: 6
• Calories: 237kcal
• Fat: 12g
• Saturated Fat: 1.7g
• Cholesterol: 5mg
• Sodium: 513mg
• Potassium: 1163mg
• Carbohydrates: 31.6g
• Net Carbs: 19.3g
• Fiber: 12.3g
• Sugar: 19.4g
• Protein: 6.4g
• Vitamin A: 286mcg
• Vitamin C: 211.5mg
• Calcium: 115mg
• Iron: 3mg
• Vitamin D: 0.5mcg
• Vitamin E: 5.4mg
• Vitamin K: 31.8mcg
• Thiamin: 0.2mg
• Riboflavin: 0.3mg
• Niacin: 3.7mg
• Vitamin B6: 0.8mg
• Vitamin B12: 0.2mcg
• Folate: 134.1mcg
• Pantothenic Acid: 1.4mg
• Phosphorus: 170mg
• Magnesium: 73mg
• Zinc: 1mg
• Selenium: 2.4mcg
• Copper: 0.3mg
• Manganese: 1mg

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