Mirza ghasemi was one of my favorite dishes when I traveled to Iran. It’s a northern Iranian dish that you can easily find in Tehran and in many other parts of the country.
As a vegetarian, it takes a bit of work to eat in Iran, but when I found this dish, it became my go-to food of choice. The best part is that it’s super easy to make at home.
Here is how to make mirza ghasemi.
It’s a recipe that’s a a combination of a few I found online.
With the exception of the eggplant and maybe the turmeric, I suspect you’ll already have most of the ingredients in your refrigerator and spice cabinet!
Iranians serve this as a side dish or a dip, but I like it as a main course with either basamati rice or naan bread (of, if you can find it, Iranian bread!)
How to make Mirza Ghasemi – the star ingredient
First, get yourself a couple of large, fresh eggplants (aubergines) and put them in the oven on 400°F/200°C. Leave them there for 40 minutes.
You can tell they’re done when they are soft to the touch.
The won’t look “done” until you take them out, but when you do, you’ll notice they start to collapse after a couple of minutes.
Next, remove the skin from the eggplants and mash them up with a fork or finely dice them with a chef’s knife. Be careful though – the insides will be quite hot.
Other ingredients in Mirza Ghasemi
The ingredient list for this recipe is quite basic. And, as I said, you’ll likely have everything you need at home except the eggplants and turmeric.
Most places that tell you how to make Mirza Ghasemi call for tomato paste, but I didn’t use it.
First of all, it’s only one teaspoon. Second, I didn’t want to open an entire can of tomato paste just for one teaspoon!
The ingredients for the mirza ghasemi recipe simple and easy:
- Eggplant
- Garlic
- Turmeric
- Oil (I used an olive oil mix)
- Tomatoes
- Eggs
- Salt & Pepper
For my recipe, I chose to use a can of San Marzano tomatoes. You can use fresh of you like, but I find that American tomatoes are bland.
If you have good tomatoes where you live, use them. If not, you can’t beat a good can of San Marzanos!
Preparing Mirza Ghasemi
In a large saucepan, add 1/3 cup of oil and heat it up. Then add the finely chopped garlic (7 cloves – more if you like it – yum!) and lightly brown it.
Once the garlic is browned, add 1.5 teaspoons of turmeric and stir it into the oil and garlic.
After about a minute, add the mashed eggplant.
This is the time-consuming part. Stir everything together and turn the stove to medium low. Continue stirring and mixing for about 15 minutes.
After that, add your tomatoes and salt & pepper to taste.
Continue stirring for another 10 minutes.
Adding the eggs
Beat three eggs and add them to the mixture. Then stir it all together and cook it for another couple of minutes to ensure the eggs are cooked through.
If you want to know how to make Mirza Ghasemi as a vegan recipe, I highly suggest using an egg substitute like VeganEgg.
It’s the closest egg substitute I’ve ever found.
And that’s it!
You’re mirza ghasemi recipe is complete! You can enjoy this as a dip or a main course. If you’re using it as a dip, serve it with good Iranian bread.
You can also use naan if you can’t find the Iranian stuff.
Or, serve it with basamati rice as a main dish!
And that’s how to make Mirza ghasemi. It’s a delicious, smoky, easy recipe and some of the best Iranian comfort food out there! I loved it, and I hope you will too!
If you want to know more about my trip to Iran, and how you can plan yours, see my Iranian Travel Tips section.
For More on Iran: When we travel, we use Lonely Planet
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Michael is originally from Canada but now resides in Atlanta, GA with his husband, Halef, who also writes here. He is a Couchsurfing expert. Michael has traveled to over 50 countries learning how to experience more for less as he travels.
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The correct name is Mirza Ghasemi, thanks for the recipe.
I fixed it. Ugh!! Thanks!
Next time try to grill eggplants, put them directly on charcoal and then peel them. The skin comes off easily and it gives a fantastic smoked taste and aroma to the Mirza Ghasemi.
That will have to wait until summer comes here and it’s nice enough out to have a fire on the grill! 🙂
This food belongs to Gilan province In Iran, and one of few veggie dishes among Iranian Meat rich diet.
Going to try and make a vegan version of this tonight! Glad I found your blog.