Main image of Kichaloo Banjan - Afghan Potato Eggplant Dish

Kichaloo Banjan - Afghan Potato Eggplant Dish

3 hr + 10 min

Side

10 ingredients or less
"Kichaloo" is potato, and "Banjan" is eggplant in Dari, one of the languages spoken in Afghanistan. Traditionally, Banjan is a dish consisting of fried eggplant, tomato, and a yogurt sauce. Growing up, my mum made her own version of the dish, which included potatoes and used much less oil than the traditional Afghan banjan recipe. It's a comforting dish that immediately transports me back to Mum's kitchen. Serve this dish with some toasted bread and enjoy a taste of my childhood.

Servings

Total

3 hr + 10 min

Prep

10 min

Cook

1 hr

Rest

2 hr

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Ingredients

Banjan (eggplant)

  • 3
    small eggplants
  • 1 tsp (6 g)
    salt
  • 2 Tbsp (30 mL)
    vegetable oil, for frying eggplants
  • 3
    medium potatoes, peeled, cut into ½ cm thick rounds
  • 3
    medium tomatoes, sliced into 1 cm thick rounds
  • 2 tsp (10 mL)
    vegetable oil, for frying garlic
  • 3
    cloves garlic, crushed
  • ½ tsp
    ground turmeric
  • ¼ tsp
    salt
  • ¾ cup (180 mL)
    boiling water

Garlic yogurt sauce

  • 1 cup (240 mL)
    unsweetened soy yogurt
  • 1
    clove garlic, crushed
  • ½ tsp
    salt

Serves well with

Directions

  1. Trim the tops off the eggplants. Using a potato peeler, create a decorative pattern in the skin of the eggplant by peeling alternating stripes in the eggplant lengthwise. Then slice the eggplant into rounds, just over ½ inch (1½ cm) thick.
  2. Transfer the eggplants to a large bowl, and sprinkle the salt overtop. Then using your hands, massage the salt onto both sides of each piece of eggplant.
  3. Let the eggplants sit in the bowl for at least 2 hours, and up to 4 hours. This helps to draw water out of the eggplant and allows for less oil to be used later. You should notice by the end the eggplant is "sweating" and there is a pool of dark water in the bowl that has leached from the eggplants.
  4. Using a clean kitchen cloth, squeeze as much water out of each eggplant piece as possible.
  5. To a sauté pan on high heat, add half of the oil. When hot, drop the heat to medium and add half of the eggplant in a single layer. Let fry until golden, then flip. When both sides are golden, set aside on a plate. Then repeat with the other half of the oil and eggplants.
  6. When the last of the eggplant is cooked on both sides, drop the heat to low and layer the sliced potatoes, tomatoes, and previously cooked eggplants into the pan.
  7. Meanwhile, to a small pan on medium-high heat, add the oil and garlic. Cook until the garlic becomes golden, about 3 minutes.
  8. Then add the turmeric and salt, stirring for 20 seconds.
  9. Add the boiling water. Stir so that the turmeric dissolves in the water. Pour this liquid over the veggies in the large pan.
  10. Cover and cook on medium-low for 35 - 40 minutes. Careful NOT to stir at any point, otherwise the veggies will turn into mush. Serve with the garlic yogurt drizzled over top, and with toasted bread and salata on the side. Enjoy!

Storage

  • Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
  • The garlic yogurt is best enjoyed immediately, but can be stored in a container in the fridge for up to 1 day.
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Nutrition info

We believe that focusing on numbers can harm our relationship with food. Instead, our philosophy is to Nourish the Cells & the Soul. If you require specific nutrition information due to a medical condition, please consult with a dietitian or physician. The nutritional information provided is composed with the utmost care. However, we cannot guarantee the correctness of the displayed values, see also our disclaimer.

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Discussion & Rating

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Maroun - April 24, 2022, 9:57 a.m.

This dish is a feast for the kings and queens.
I've been doing it non-stop and I'll be preparing it for today as well.

I am sending you this message and asking you if its possible to teach us more about the Afghan cuisine and how to veganise it if necessary.

Awesome work.

PUL Team - April 24, 2022, 5:45 p.m.

Awe we're so glad it's being enjoyed, Maroun, and thanks for the request! We've noted it down as an idea for future PUL content ✨

Reply
Eni - April 19, 2022, 3:40 p.m.

It was delicious! Definitely a keeper.

Reply
Clara - Feb. 28, 2022, 8:39 a.m.

Another great recipe of yours, I loved all the flavours together ! Thank you for introducing us to your culture !

PUL Team - Feb. 28, 2022, 8:22 p.m.

Woohoo! Thank you, Clara, so happy to hear 😊

Reply
Elle - Dec. 18, 2021, 9:37 p.m.

I wonder if we can omit frying the eggplant beforehand? Would it change the flavor or texture too much?

PUL Team - Dec. 21, 2021, 3:06 a.m.

Hi there, Elle! The aim is for frying the eggplants is to provide a soft melt-in-your-mouth texture. We're sure they'd still be delicious if you choose to prepare them another way. For example, we've had some positive reviews with air frying 🙂

Reply
Gabriele - Dec. 9, 2021, 2:04 a.m.

I've been looking for a recipe like this, since I left my hometown where I would frequent this lovely afghan couple that made really yummy dishes, and this one was my favorite! I usually don't cook things that need me to do things multiple hours in advance, but it was sooo worth it and easy. With how flavorful it tastes, i thought it would have way more spices, but it really is that simple. Thank you so much for helping me learn how to create something so joyful with my own hands :) i also added chickpeas for protein and I think they worked wonderfully.

PUL Team - Dec. 9, 2021, 5:08 a.m.

Aw we're beyond grateful the recipe was enjoyed, Gabriele - thank you for taking the time to share! Love the addition of chickpeas too 😍

Reply
jay - Nov. 23, 2021, 5:06 p.m.

Delicious

Reply
Eli - Oct. 3, 2021, 5:56 a.m.

I loved this segment; will definitely be trying these. I would love a part II of Afghan cuisine covering desserts. Then this would be complete : ) [I grew up eating Syrian food, such as knafeh and the desserts sometimes seem impossible to veganize but I'm sure that's not true!]

PUL Team - Oct. 3, 2021, 7:25 p.m.

Thank you for the kind words and suggestion, Eli! We hope you enjoy the recipes 😊

Reply
Hiba - Oct. 1, 2021, 7:27 p.m.

Excited to learn about the Afghan recipes! It's interesting to see how much alike these recipes are with the South Asian and Middle Eastern cuisine yet unique in their own way of preparation. I will be happy to try them soon and amaze my family and friends! 🥰🥰

PUL Team - Oct. 2, 2021, 10:46 p.m.

We hope you enjoy the recipes, Hiba! It's definitely really interesting to learn about similarities between different cuisines 🤗

Reply
Dominique - Sept. 25, 2021, 7:26 a.m.

Already made this dish 2 times and I'm planning to make it again next week. I added some vegan meatballs at the end of the cooking time for some added protein. Delicious!

PUL Team - Sept. 26, 2021, 1:48 a.m.

A lovely twist, Dominique, thanks for sharing!

Reply
Janelle - Sept. 21, 2021, 2:07 a.m.

This is really good! Thanks for sharing. I’m not the biggest fan of eggplants, but they taste great in this recipe! Added a little black pepper to activate the curcumin in the turmeric. I’m going to write this recipe down tomorrow.

PUL Team - Sept. 21, 2021, 2:56 a.m.

So happy to hear the recipe was enjoyed, Janelle! In case you're interested and haven't already seen it, our new website has the ability to print recipes with the green "print" button below the directions. If "print" is clicked, it'll take you to a print page where you can uncheck the image from printing on the left side of the screen and adjust the printing font size if desired 🙂

Reply
Kerrie Challinor - Sept. 13, 2021, 11:25 p.m.

Love these recipes thankyou to you and your lovely family for sharing. I'm planning on creating an Afghan banquet for my family to celebrate my daughter 18th Birthday at the beginning of next month ! they all look so lovely and full of flavour. My thoughts are with the Afghan people xx

PUL Team - Sept. 14, 2021, 5 a.m.

Oh this is so lovely to hear, Kerrie! Happy early birthday to your daughter as well 🥳

Reply
Charlotte - Sept. 9, 2021, 8:52 p.m.

We loved this recipe!! The eggplants were cooked to perfection and the flavours in this dish were exceptional. We are already planning to make this again next week with a different accompaniment (we enjoyed it with salata this evening). Thank you to your mother for passing it on! 🙏🏻🌍

PUL Team - Sept. 12, 2021, 2:51 a.m.

Aww Charlotte, thank you for trying the recipes and sharing the glowing review. It means so much more than we can express 💚

Reply
Ditte - Sept. 5, 2021, 9:46 p.m.

Hi, i'm wondering what the green lentil/chickpea/pasta soup is in the background? It looks super delicious, so i'm hoping for a recipe! I really really loved your video on afghan food, and i would love if you did more of those. I tried two of the recipes already, and shared it with my boyfriend and his dad. His dad would tell how amazing it tasted between every bite, so thank you very much.

PUL Team - Sept. 6, 2021, 5:53 p.m.

Hey Ditte - it's a Persian dish called "aushak". A recipe we've tested but haven't posted just yet - we hope to soon! 🤓 And so happy to hear you're enjoying the Afghan recipes, Ditte, thanks so much for sharing it with your loved ones ♥️

Reply
Lorraine - Sept. 5, 2021, 2:49 p.m.

We loved it ! The smell is amazing and the taste ... with some rice, it was perfect !

Reply
Meagan - Sept. 3, 2021, 12:15 a.m.

Trying this today! Quick question.... Do I let the eggplants sit out on the counter while they sweat, or should I stick them in the fridge? Thank you!

PUL Team - Sept. 3, 2021, 4:37 a.m.

Hey Meagan, we left ours at room temperature, but fridge would be fine too if you'd prefer it 😊 I hope this helps!

Reply
Anna - Sept. 1, 2021, 4:13 p.m.

Hi, I cook a lot of Palestinian dishes that require vegetables deep frying. What I like to do is to air fry the veggies in the oven with tiny bit of oil. It gives similar taste and is little faster than a pan as you can put a lot of vegetables at once and leave it for 10-15 min.

Alica - Sept. 1, 2021, 6:18 p.m.

Very good tip that I'm always following.
I wonder if we're supposed to have crunchy or soft eggplants soaking up the rest of the stew/sauce/vegetables? Since I believe air frying make eggplants slightly more crunchier than deep frying (or is it just me?)

Anna - Sept. 1, 2021, 9:15 p.m.

I think even after you air fry them they are little crunchy, but rest of the sauce will soak into them. I think of eggplant as sponges - which is why deep frying them is like having cup of oil.

PUL Team - Sept. 2, 2021, 2:54 a.m.

Hey Anna and Alica, the air fryer trick sounds cool! Indeed, the aim is for the eggplants to become melt-in-your-mouth soft. But I'm sure they'd still be delicious if you choose to prepare it another way 😊

Reply