Aubergine Borani

Aubergine Borani

We stumbled across Borani on a trip and honestly could not stop thinking about it when we got home. It's a Persian-inspired aubergine dish that layers smoky roasted aubergine with garlicky tomatoes, green chilli and a tangle of fresh dill, and the whole thing is just stunning. Every bite has this gorgeous combination of soft, yielding aubergine and bright, punchy flavour that feels really special without being fussy. It's one of those recipes that looks proper impressive on the table but is actually very doable once you get into it. Make this tonight and you'll totally understand why we've been banging on about it.

Cook: 40 min
Serves 2

Before You Start

  • Preheat oven to 200°C
  • Large baking tray lined with parchment
  • Large frying pan with lid
  • Microplane (for garlic & lemon zest)
  • Mixing bowl

Ingredients

  • 2 aubergines
  • 3 cloves of garlic
  • 2 tbsp tomato purée
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp ground turmeric
  • 1 tsp ground coriander
  • 1 onion
  • 3 tomatoes
  • 1 green chilli
  • 1 tbsp vinegar
  • ½ tbsp sugar
  • 175ml water
  • 200g plant-based yoghurt
  • ½ lemon
  • 1 clove of garlic
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tsp dried mint
  • 1 tsp Aleppo pepper flakes
  • 20g toasted pine nuts
  • 10g fresh dill

Method

1

Roast the aubergine

  • Slice the aubergine into rounds ½ cm thick
  • Place on the baking tray and drizzle with olive oil
  • Bake for 25 minutes or until just cooked and slightly golden, or air-fry for 15 minutes, flipping half way through until golden
2

Prep the veg

  • Peel and mince the garlic
  • Peel and slice the onion
  • Slice the tomatoes
  • Deseed and slice the green chilli lengthways
  • Pick the dill leaves
3

Make the base

  • Heat a large frying pan with olive oil
  • Add the garlic and sauté until fragrant
  • Add the tomato paste, ground cumin, turmeric and ground coriander and cook for two minutes
  • Layer up the tomatoes first, then sliced onion, aubergine and chilies
  • Pour over the vinegar, sugar and water, then cover with a lid and leave to simmer for 15 minutes until everything is cooked and softened, then give it all a mix together
4

Make the yoghurt

  • Place the yoghurt in a bowl and grate over the garlic, zest the lemon and add the juice
  • Mix to combine and taste to season with salt
5

Finish and serve

  • Spoon the yoghurt on a plate and top with the aubergine borani
  • Finish with extra virgin olive oil, dried mint, aleppo pepper, the dill leaves and pine nuts

Tips & Variations

  • Air fryer shortcut: If you've got an air fryer, use it here. Ian swears by it for the aubergine because you get that golden colour in about 15 minutes and it frees up your oven for other things.
  • Go easy on the chilli: The green chilli adds heat but also a lovely fresh flavour. If you're cooking for people who don't love spice, just use half or leave the seeds out entirely. It still works brilliantly.
  • Fresh dill is worth it: Henry always insists on fresh dill for this one and he's right. Dried just doesn't give you the same brightness. If you really can't find it, fresh flat-leaf parsley is a decent backup.

Why This Works

The trick here is getting the aubergine properly golden before it goes anywhere near the sauce. That caramelisation is everything, it adds a depth and slight smokiness that you just can't rush. The dill at the end is non-negotiable too, it lifts the whole dish and stops it feeling heavy. Trust us on this one.