Cook and author Yasmin Khan. Photo: Issy Crocker
Yasmin Khan always knew she would write a vegetarian book called Sabzi; it is a word which has a dual meaning for her. “In my father’s languages, Urdu and Punjabi, sabzi means cooked vegetables,” says Khan, who is half-Iranian and half Pakistani, “and in my mother’s, Farsi, it means fresh herbs.”
It was meeting her husband, a vegetarian, which inspired Sabzi, her fourth cookbook: “When we met, I wanted to share my food cultures with him, but I was very conscious that many Persian recipes are meat and fish based.” So began a process of making vegetarian equivalents, like this aubergine, split pea and dried lime khoresht, or stew, which is traditionally made with lamb. “Every Persian grows up with it,” she says, “and it’s now one of my daughter’s favourite things to eat.”
“It’s funny with ideas,” she says. “You have them, but then there’s a right time to implement them.” The timing of Sabzi seems particularly poignant, dedicated as it is to Khan’s 18-month-old daughter with the words For Mitra, finally – after many years of miscarriages. “Herbs – sabzi – are what we celebrate at Persian new year, which is all about new beginnings. And, of course, becoming a parent was just that: a new chapter.”
Given the book is so personal, it was an affront to Khan when it became the subject of a recent legal battle (the owner of a Cornish deli named Sabzi tried to sue her publisher, Bloomsbury, for trademark infringement). The case has now been dropped (and the trademark relinquished), but for Khan it has left a bad taste: “It flagged that a legacy of colonialism echoes through our legal systems, and it doesn’t reflect how language is now used in the UK, which is a multicultural society and embraces food cultures from all over the world.” The trademark, she says, should never have been awarded.
Despite being a Persian dish, the sabzi in today’s recipe comes in the form of cooked vegetables rather than fresh herbs. “It’s perfect for this time of year: warming, earthy, citrussy and fragrant, like so much of Persian cookery,” says Khan, and it is spiced with cumin, cinnamon, white pepper and saffron. Dried limes are emblematically Persian, too, and can be found in large supermarkets, online or in Persian grocery stores – “the paler the better,” she says. If you can’t find them, substitute with fresh lime juice, “which won’t bring the bitterness, but does have the acidity”.
Interview by Mina Holland
Sabzi: Fresh Vegetarian Recipes For Every Day by Yasmin Khan is published by Bloomsbury
Persian Aubergine, Split Pea, and Dried Lime Stew (Gheimeh Badinjan)
Serves 4-6
Ingredients
200g yellow split peas
3 large aubergines, cut into long, thick wedges
Vegetable oil
2 medium onions, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1¼ teaspoons cumin seeds
1¼ teaspoons coriander seeds
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground white pepper
¼ teaspoon Aleppo pepper or other mild chilli flakes
500ml just-boiled water
500ml vegetable stock
3 tablespoons tomato purée
4 dried limes
1 tablespoon lemon juice, or more to taste
Pinch saffron strands
Pinch sugar
Fried Potato Topping (optional - see recipe below - need oil and one potato)
Salt
Method
Rinse the split peas and soak in a large bowl of cold water for at least 6 hours.
Preheat the oven to 200°C/Fan 180°C/Gas Mark 6.
Line a large baking sheet with baking paper.
Arrange the aubergine wedges on the prepared baking sheet. Pour 4 tablespoons of vegetable oil into a small bowl and use a pastry brush to coat each side of the aubergine before sprinkling them with 1/2 teaspoon salt. Roast for 25 minutes, or until completely soft and cooked through. set aside.
Meanwhile, heat 3 tablespoons vegetable oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions and cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until brown and soft. Add the garlic and cook for a few minutes, adding a bit more oil or water if the pan has dried out.
Toast the cumin and coriander seeds in a small pan over medium heat for 1 or 2 minutes, stirring a few times, until fragrant. Transfer to a mortar and pestle or spice grinder and grind. Add the spices to the onions, along with the turmeric, cinnamon, white pepper, and chilli flakes and stir well.
Drain the split peas and add to the onions, along with 500ml of the just-boiled water. Bring to the boil, using a spoon to remove any scum that rises to the surface. Cover and cook over medium heat for 15 minutes. Add the stock, tomato purée, and 1 teaspoon salt.
Pierce each dried lime with a fork a few times and add these to the pot along with the lemon juice.
Grind the saffron and sugar in a mortar and pestle. Add 2 tablespoons just-boiled water and let steep for 5 minutes, then add to the stew. Cover and simmer until the split peas are completely cooked and soft. Depending on the age and freshness of the split peas, this can take anywhere from 20 to 40 minutes (you may need to add a touch more water if they dry out).
Once the split peas are cooked, gently stir in the aubergine. Cook for 5 minutes to bring everything together. taste and adjust the seasoning to your preference – you may want a touch more salt, black pepper, or lemon juice. Just before serving, top the stew with the fried potatoes, if using.
Fried Potato Topping (optional)
Vegetable oil
1 medium potato, peeled and cut into thin fries
Salt
Line a plate with a few sheets of kitchen paper. Heat 5 tablespoons of oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the potato, sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt, and cook until crisp on the outside and soft within, for about 5 to 8 minutes. You may want to work in batches so that you don’t crowd the pan. Transfer the fries to the lined plate to drain.