Afghani Borani Banjan Guyana style.. بوراني بنجان

Afghani Borani Banjan.. 

Rough time as body feels the 'year ago' significant events even as calendars and time are just artificial things. But knowledge and opportunity are there to also shift things away and to let bring new memories for the body and soul to feel.

And strange things.. listening to a man talking about 'clapping lash on his children' and cussing silently to the man cutting my hair. Thinking of when is good for education to big men who beat their children that they are bullies. But then is a busy day.. no time to cuss up anybody and then try to recover from it. 

Every day can be a cuss day.

Wondering what else to make with baigan and thanks to the internet , end up  with the Afghani Borani Banjan dish. And thanks to the Internet .. as one of the cooks says, there is no one way to make the Borani Banjan. The baigan is basically sliced, fried (lord that oil!!) first, a tomato sauce is made with garlic and spices, and then the baigan is mixed in.  

The plating across the different recipes  is consistent, first put some of the yoghurt mixed with garlic and herbs on a plate and then layer the baigan/tomato mixture. And eat with roti or with rice.

 

So I mix and match the various recipes, some do not have onions, some do. 

Nuff tomatoes and I think nah, let me wait until tomato price come down. Use all tomato paste.

But this week, some small ones for $460 a pound and I think man.. is two pastry , buy the damn tomato and make the thing. 

And there is a difference when real tomatoes in the mix with the tomato paste.

 All the recipes ask for mint and I am too lazy to go to get the fresh mint. Others want coriander leaves.

Some cooks salt the baigan a bit to get the moisture out, some do not . 

Some have plenty oil, others less oil. There are different spices in different quantities.

Guyana style..

And so on a busy day, I stop what I need to do and decide right. Let's try a thing. There is dahee which has to be used out, grate the garlic and put lil salt in it and lil dry shellot (not a good substitute for mint but.. ) leave one side.

I will try with one small baigan and see.

I slice the baigan and salt it. I will do it on the tawa, not in that oil thing! Baigan soaks up oil.  The tawa does not create 'golden brown' but there is a nice charring... skin is there too.

Then make up the sauce, more garlic. 

I am supposed to sing this evening and I think oh heck, hope the garlic is gone by then. Garlic in the oil, with the tomato and paste.the yellow seasoning pepper instead of the assorted chilli powder and paste and the place smell nice.

A lil Fried Rice spice to make up for the other missing spices .

Turn heat low and simmer for 7 minutes as the stove low still high and sauce could dry out in the 15  minutes they ask for.  Apparently the thing is not supposed to have too much gravy but it is not supposed to be dry either.

Wash up wares and so.. is plenty wares. Garlic smelling all over.

Then put in the baigan in the pan, spoon some of the sauce on top, baigan feeling a bit 'tough'.

Simmer all together for a few minutes more.

Then now to do the plating.. spread the dahee/garlic mix on the plate, then some of the borani , then some drops of the dahee/garlic and then some borani and finish off with the streaks. 

Is the first time I 'plating'.

Then dip the roti and take lil bit . Intense nice spicy flavour. I imagining the mint with all of it. 

Rich. 

Day looks better now.