Aab-goosht-e Baadenjaan

Directions:

Peel and thinly slice onions. Fry in oil until slightly golden. Wash split peas and fry slightly with onions. Cut meat into small pieces, add to onions and split peas, and fry over medium heat until colour changes. Add salt, black pepper, and turmeric. Follow with six glasses of hot water and cook over low heat for about 30 minutes. The pot should be covered with a tight lid so that little steam escapes during cooking.

Peel eggplants and cut perpendicular to their major axis to a thickness of 1 cm. Add a bit of salt and fry in oil over medium heat on both sides until colour changes. Wash and peel potatoes. Add eggplants, potatoes, and tomato paste. Cook over low heat with the pot again tightly covered for another 30 minutes. If necessary, add more hot water during cooking.

When cooked, pour the juice into another container. With the back of a fork or spoon, fully crush the ingredients and mix well. Serve both the ingredients and the juice separately with Iranian, middle-eastern, or pita bread. Rice is not served with aab-goosht. When eating, cut bread into small pieces and briefly soak in the juice or form morsels by wrapping a small piece of bread around some of the food.