Eggplant Borani
What is Eggplant Borani (Bourani Banjan)? The Afghan Eggplant Dish
Borani (بورانی, also bourani) is the Afghan and Persian name for a family of yogurt-based dishes where a cooked vegetable is served on a bed of house yogurt, often finished with a drizzle of spiced oil or sauce. Bourani banjan - eggplant borani - is the most beloved of these: slow-fried or roasted eggplant, cooked until silky and deeply caramelised, layered over thick house yogurt, and finished with a spiced tomato sauce and dried mint. It is simultaneously a condiment, a side dish, and, for many guests, the dish they cannot stop eating.
The eggplant is the key. When Afghan cooks prepare banjan for borani, they are looking for a specific quality in the finished vegetable: the flesh should be fully collapsed and almost melting, with a deep, slightly bitter, smoky sweetness from the long cooking. The skin crisps while the interior transforms. Laying this over cold, tangy yogurt and spooning warm spiced tomato sauce on top creates the hot-cold, sweet-sour, rich-tangy balance that makes bourani banjan one of the most satisfying things on an Afghan table - and one of the most genuinely original flavour combinations in the tradition.
Eggplant Borani at Naan Kabob
Our Eggplant Borani (12.99)isanappetiserthatregularlybecomesthemosttalked-aboutdishatthetable-especiallyamongguestswhocomeinexpectingnottolikeeggplant.Itisfullyvegetarian,naturallygluten-free,andhalal.ItpairsbeautifullywithourfreshAfghanNaanforscooping,andisacentralpartofourLazizMezze(13.99) alongside our Smoky Baba Ghanouj and Red Pepper Hummus
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Eggplant Borani vegetarian?
Yes. Our Eggplant Borani is fully vegetarian - cooked eggplant, house yogurt, and spiced tomato sauce with dried mint. No meat, no meat-derived ingredients.
How much does Eggplant Borani cost at Naan Kabob?
Eggplant Borani is 12.99asastandaloneappetiser.ItisalsopartofourLazizMezze(13.99).
What does borani mean?
Borani (or bourani) refers to a family of Afghan and Persian dishes where cooked vegetables are served over or with a yogurt base. The name is thought to trace back to Buran, a 9th-century Abbasid queen famous for her love of eggplant dishes - though the etymology is debated. In Afghan cooking, borani covers eggplant, pumpkin (kadu), and spinach preparations, all served with yogurt.
See also: Bourani Kadu, Mezze, Afghan Cuisine, Raita.
Eggplant Borani at Naan Kabob - $12.99. Silky, smoky, and unexpectedly irresistible. A vegetarian highlight of our menu.
