SAEDNEWS: Mirza Ghasemi is a classic and much-loved dish from Gilan province. Its unique and delicious flavor, brought out by roasted eggplants, has made it popular throughout Iran. Join us to watch the full step-by-step tutorial on how to prepare this traditional favorite.
According to SAEDNEWS: Mirza Ghasemi is a traditional dish from Gilan province, first invented by a man named Mirza Ghasem Khan Qajar. Mirza Ghasem Khan Qajar — a cultured governor of Gilan — created this dish by combining smoked eggplant, tomato, garlic, and other ingredients, which remains very popular to this day. This delicious meal can be served with bread for lunch or dinner. In this article, we explain how to prepare this Gilan specialty and discuss whether its nature (temperament) is considered cold or warm.
Eggplants: 1 kg
Tomatoes: 400 g
Eggs: 4
Garlic cloves: 6
Tomato paste: 1 to 2 tablespoons
Turmeric, black pepper, salt, and oil: as needed
Instead of roasting, you can boil the eggplants if you don’t like the smoky flavor. However, northern chefs traditionally roast the dish directly over charcoal fire.
When buying eggplants, choose fresh ones without many seeds. Late-season or very large eggplants tend to have seeds, which can make the dish bitter.
For garnish, northern cooks often add a fried egg (sunny side up). After cooking Mirza Ghasemi, prepare an egg separately in a non-stick pan and place it on top of the dish. You can also use walnuts for decoration.
Since many people pay close attention to the temperament of foods, here we address this aspect. This delicious northern dish is classified as having a warm temperament. However, it can increase the body's "soda" (black bile).
As you may know, excess soda in the body can cause spots, boils, pimples, varicose veins, and more. It is better to limit consumption of this dish to avoid dominance of a soda temperament. People suffering from hemorrhoids are also advised not to overeat this delicious meal.
Additionally, those living in warm and dry climates should consume this food cautiously. Individuals with an excess of blood, soda, or bile temperaments should also be careful when eating this nutritious dish.
If your temperament is phlegmatic (cold and moist), you can enjoy Mirza Ghasemi without worry. When eaten along with balancing ingredients (“Mosleh”), it is completely harmless. People with this temperament can prepare and enjoy this northern delicacy about once every two weeks.
If you have excess soda, blood, or bile temperaments but still want to enjoy this dish, you can use balancing foods such as pomegranate paste, fresh cow butter, and sweet pomegranate juice to offset its effects.
