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Nazkhatoon
نازخاتون (nazkhatoon): Gilani smoky grilled eggplant with sour pomegranate, mint and garlic
Nazkhatoon comes from Gilan, the green, rainy province on Iran's Caspian coast, where it is eaten in summer as a starter or side with grilled fish, rice and fresh herbs. Charred eggplant is chopped with tomato, garlic and mint, then sharpened with sour pomegranate molasses and verjuice, so it tastes smoky, tart and fresh at once. Suitable as part of a balanced diet, it is a vegetable salad with no grain: about 110 kcal and 14 g carbohydrate per portion. The usual mistake is using sweet pomegranate syrup; it must be the sour Gilani style, and a little goes a long way. Chef's tip: chop everything by hand rather than in a blender, so the salad keeps some texture.
- Total time
- 40 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 2 eggplantslarge, about 700 g
- 1 tomatofinely diced
- 2 cloves garliccrushed
- ½ oz fresh mintchopped
- 1 ½ tbsp sour pomegranate molasses
- 1 tbsp verjuice or lemon juice
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- ¼ tsp ground golpar (angelica seed) (optional)
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- 2 tbsp pomegranate seeds (optional)
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What you'll need
Fresh ingredients (5)
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Prick the 2 eggplants a few times and grill them over a gas flame, on a barbecue or under a very hot grill for 20–25 minutes, turning, until the skin is charred and the flesh completely soft when pressed.
25 minStep 2: Cool for 5 minutes, then peel and drain the flesh in a sieve for 5 minutes to lose the bitter juice.
10 minStep 3: Chop the flesh finely on a board and put it in a bowl with 1 tomato, 2 cloves garlic and ½ oz fresh mint.
3 minStep 4: Stir in 1 ½ tbsp sour pomegranate molasses, 1 tbsp verjuice or lemon juice, 1 tbsp olive oil, ¼ tsp ground golpar (angelica seed), ½ tsp salt and ¼ tsp black pepper. Taste; it should be sour and smoky.
1 minStep 5: Spread on a plate, scatter with 2 tbsp pomegranate seeds and serve at room temperature.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 110 kcal
- Protein
- 2 g
- Carbs
- 14 g
- Fat
- 5 g
- Fibre
- 6 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does nazkhatoon take?
- About 40 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 25 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of tomato?
- Tinned chopped tomatoes: a 400g tin for about 6 tomatoes (in cooked dishes, not salads).
- What can I use instead of garlic?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
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