Eggplant and Pomengranate Recipe

Fesenjan-e Bademjan
(Eggplant & Pomegranate Braise)

Queen Esther, the Persian queen who is the heroine of the Purim holiday, kept her Jewish background hidden while living in the Court of King Ahashuerus. It is now suggested that she may have done this by eating a vegetarian diet. It is this reason, as well to as give hope to Jewish vegetarians everywhere looking for tasty special occasion recipes for Jewish holidays, that this main course Purim dinner recipe is included in our Purim recipe files.

This eggplant dish with a honey walnut sauce is exotic. the walnuts are used as a thickening agent, the pomegranates for sourness, and the honey as a sweetener. the result is a delicate sweet-and-sour flavor that is typically Persian. Asian eggplants, pomegranate juice and pomegranate paste are available at Iranian market and the Middle Eastern or Ethnic specialty sections of some major grocery stores.

Peel eggplants and remove stems. Salt, let sit for at least 20 minutes, rinse and squeeze out water. Slice into 1 in. thick rounds.

Heat 4 tbsp. oil in deep skillet over medium heat. Add eggplant, and saute on all sides about 15 minutes or until golden brown. Remove eggplants from skillet and drain on paper towels and set aside. Add remaining oil to skillet and reheat over medium heat.

Add onion and saute until golden brown (10-14 minutes). Add garlic for last few minutes of browning onions and continue cooking. add cumin, cannamon, salt, pepper, turmeric, crushed red pepper, parsley, cilantro (or lemon basil or fresh oregano) and fresh mint and saute for another 5 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

Grind walnuts in food processor until very fine, or else sauce will be gritty. Combine walnuts with dluted pomegranate paste and honey, as needed, and stir until sauce is smooth.

Pour sauce into skillet. Return eggplants and seasoning to skillet, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer mixture for 30 minutes or until eggplants are tender, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon. If sauce is too sour, add more honey or brown sugar to taste.

Spoon onto serving dish or plates, and garnish with herb leaves and pomegranate seeds, or any combination of the optional garnishes of friend eggplant rounds or crispy onions. Serve with couscous or rice , warm flat bread and a fresh green salad.