Yatimcheh is a comforting, economical and easy-to-prepare Iranian vegetarian stew of eggplant, tomatoes and potatoes.
This dish can be prepared year-round but is particularly flavorful with sweet late-summer tomatoes and eggplant.
And watch how much salt you add to the eggplant," Maman, my mother, instructs me.
Photo: Joy Howard
She presses her face right up to the screen for a close and thorough inspection.
It’s a familiar and comforting refrain between us.
A two-person show with endless acts.
Instead of Maman sitting comfortably at our kitchen table overseeing my work, she appears daily on my phone.
And so we push through, one day at a time.
My mother, always the artist.
Yatimcheh translates to “little orphan.”
It’s not exactly clear why it has been named such, but there are a couple of theories.
As with many Iranian dishes, yatimcheh can be prepared with slight variations depending on the region and household.
At its core, it’s an eggplant dish that is cooked with tomatoes and sometimes other vegetables.
This version includes eggplant, sweet summer tomatoes and potatoes.
check that you take your time with cooking the onion.
I lift the lid off the pan and focus the phone on the simmering yatimcheh.
The camera fogs over from the steam.
We both laugh and fill the space with all the unwritten and unspoken words.
Our kitchen table is missing all the friends, family and grandparents.
Spread the eggplant evenly across the pan.
Roast until softened, about 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat a large saute pan over medium-high heat; add the remaining 1/4 cup oil.
(You really want to draw out all the flavor from the onion here, so take your time.
Reduce the heat slightly if necessary, but remember you want the onion to take on color.)
Sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt, reduce heat to medium and add garlic and turmeric.
Cook, stirring, until the garlic and turmeric are fragrant, about 2 minutes.
Add potatoes; cook, stirring, for 2 minutes.
Add tomatoes; cook, stirring, for 1 minute.
Taste the stew as it cooks, adding a little more water if necessary and adjusting the seasoning.
Tips
Choose a shiny firm eggplant.
Eggplant seeds can make a dish bitter.
In place of 1 large globe eggplant, you could also use 3 Chinese eggplants or 4 Japanese eggplants.
When choosing kosher salt be aware that different brands taste saltier than others and adjust accordingly.
For this recipe we recommend Diamond Crystal, which is less salty than other brands such as Morton.
you’re free to also simply use a microplane.
- Daily Values (DVs) are the recommended amounts of nutrients to consume each day.
(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient.
