Badimjan dilchaklari – Aubergine rounds with tomato

This dish of aubergines, tomatoes and garlic, served cold, can be eaten for breakfast or as a salad or appetiser. News.Az is grateful to Gullu Cahangir for allowing us to use her photograph and recipe for badimjan dilchaklari (badımcan dilçəkləri), taken from her informative website Azerifood.com.

Preparation time: 20 mins
Cooking time: 3 hours
Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 3 aubergines
• 2 tomatoes
• 2 or 3 cloves of garlic (optional)
• a few sprigs of fresh coriander and dill
• vegetable oil
• salt & pepper

Preparation

• Slice the aubergines lengthwise. Salt the slices and set aside for 2 to 3 hours to allow the salt to bring out any bitter juices.
• Rinse the aubergines well and pat dry with kitchen paper or a clean teacloth.
• Steep the tomatoes in boiling water for a couple of minutes, then remove the skins.
• Chop the tomatoes and add to a hot pan. Allow the tomato juice to evaporate, then add a little vegetable oil and fry for 5 minutes. Add salt and pepper.
• Fry the aubergines separately until cooked through, adding salt and pepper during cooking. Remove the aubergines from the pan and place on kitchen paper to absorb excess oil.
• Crush the garlic and add to the cooked tomato.
• Put the cooked aubergine slices on a serving plate, add the tomato and garlic mix and sprinkle chopped herbs on top.
• Serve cold with fresh bread.