Tabakh Roho (beef and eggplant stew) Recipe

Whenever I have this dish, I am taken back to my grandparents house. My grandpa often picked me up from school and I can remember stepping into my grandparents house, throwing my backpack full of Lisa Frank folders on the floor, and running to hug my grandma. She was always in the kitchen and I can recall the days when she would be standing over the stove getting ready to give me a plate of tabakh roho with a side of burghol or rice. My grandma has since passed but so much of her food cooked with love is buried in my heart and memory. This dish’s name translates to self-cooked given the little hands on time required to prepare it. You will be surprised at the deep yet bright flavor of this stew given how short the ingredient list is and how simple it is to cook. Like so many of these traditional recipes, seasonality is key and having the tastiest and freshest eggplants and tomatoes, when is season, will yield the best product. I hope you make this dish with and for your loved ones.

Ingredients:

• sirloin steak (1 lb)

• yellow onion (1 large)

• garlic cloves (8)

• tomato (1 1/2)

• eggplants (5 medium)

• olive oil (1/4 cup)

• dry mint (1 tsp)

• salt and pepper (to taste)

Recipe:

• Very finely dice the onion and garlic. Cube the eggplants and tomatoes into 1 1/2 inch pieces. Cube the steak into 1 inch pieces.

• On medium heat, cook the onions until translucent (about 5 minutes). Add the steak, salt, and pepper, and stir the mixture together until all liquid evaporates. Stir in the garlic until fragrant (about 1 minute). Add in the eggplant and tomato pieces along with 1/2 cup of water. Bring the mixture to a boil then simmer covered on low to medium heat for 30-40 minutes. Once the mixture thickens, turn the heat off and add mint. Enjoy!