Mirza Ghasemi | Persian Eggs with Eggplant, Turmeric and Tomatoes

This Persian eggs with eggplant, turmeric, and tomatoes recipe is a dish originating from the northern part of Iran and is known as Mirza Ghasemi. Sponsored by Davidson’s Safest Choice® Pasteurized Eggs.

When I was a kid, most of my experience with Persian food was limited to rice, kabob and some khoresht (stews). We did not live near any Persian or middle eastern markets, nor were there any Persian restaurants near us. It wasn’t until I was in college, living my uncle (who is an amazing cook himself) that I not only learned to speak Farsi, but I also began trying new Persian meals.

If I didn’t learn how to cook a Persian dish from my mom, grandmother or uncle, I learned from a Persian cookbook. This was before the internet and the wonderful world of recipe websites and food blogs. When I got married, my mother-in-law introduced me to a slew of different regional Persian foods.

Why you have to make this recipe

Mirza Ghasemi is one dish I discovered several years ago during my Persian food self-exploration. My cousin, Soudabeh, made it for a family brunch when I came to visit. Translated, it means “Mr. Ghasemi” which tells you nothing about the dish! It originates from the northern part of Iran, the Gilan Province near the Caspian Sea.

Many of the dishes from this area include garlic—a whole lot of garlic. Because of the humid environment, you supposedly don’t smell the garlic in the food or from one’s breath in this area. And this egg dish has plenty of garlic!

This is not an omelet or a classic breakfast skillet dish. Mirza Ghasemi is filled with lots of vegetables. The first of which is eggplant.

You can use the large American variety, but I prefer the smaller varieties, like baby eggplant or Japanese and Italian eggplants. They are firm, full of flavor and tend to have less water than the large versions of eggplant.

You can grill the eggplant, roast it, or sauté it. In this version of Mirza Ghasemi,  I sauté the eggplant.

I like a chunkier textured Mirza Ghasemi, so I keep the vegetables in larger pieces. But many people prepare this dish completely differently. They bake the eggplant until it is soft, cook it with the tomatoes until everything melts together. The eggs get mixed in and the whole dish comes together like a dip.

It is usually served as a side dish, an appetizer or a light lunch. But because it is an egg dish, many of us consider it a wonderful meal for breakfast. Either way you make it, be sure to serve it with lavash or pita bread, fresh herbs, and radishes you have one amazing feast that appeals to all of your senses.

Ingredients you need

• Eggplant: Although you can use the large eggplants, I prefer the smaller baby or Japanese eggplants. These have fewer seeds and are more firm with less water.
• Tomatoes: You can use any type of tomatoes, just be sure they are flavorful.
• Garlic: Use fresh garlic and not garlic powder as the garlic flavor is very important in this dish.
• Onion
• Eggs
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Seasonings: Ground turmeric and salt
• Serve with lavash or pita, radishes and fresh herbs like scallions, basil, tarragon.

Step-by-step directions

1. Cut eggplant into 1-inch pieces and place in colander set over a large bowl. Coat eggplant with 2 tsp salt and set it aside until beads of water appear all over the eggplant, about 1 hour. Using paper towels, squeeze water from eggplant chunks.

2. In large frying pan over medium-high heat add 3 tsp olive oil. Add eggplant and sauté until it starts to soften, about 5-7 minutes.

3. Stir in onions and turmeric. Continue cooking until onions soften.

4. Stir in garlic and tomatoes and continue cooking until tomatoes soften.

5. In small bowl, whisk together eggs with ½ tsp salt. Gently stir eggs with vegetables until eggs are fully cooked. Serve lavash, radishes and fresh herbs.

Recipe tips and FAQs

As I mentioned before, this dish is usually served as a side dish, an appetizer or a light lunch. But it also makes a wonderful breakfast or brunch meal. Serve with flat bread and lots of fresh herbs.

If you are enjoying my recipes, I would love for you to sign up for my newsletter (and get my free pomegranate e-cookbook!) or follow me on Instagram or Facebook.

Continue to Content

Yield: serves 6

Mirza Ghasemi | Persian Eggs with Eggplant, Turmeric and Tomatoes

Print

This Persian eggs with eggplant, turmeric, and tomatoes recipe is a dish originating from the northern part of Iran and is called Mirza Ghasemi.

Prep Time 1 hour

Cook Time 20 minutes

Additional Time 1 hour

Total Time 2 hours 20 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 lb Japanese or baby eggplant
• 2 ½ tsp kosher salt
• 4 tsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 small onion, diced
• 1 tsp ground turmeric
• 5 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 lb tomatoes, coarsely chopped
• 6 large eggs
• lavash
• radishes
• fresh herbs (scallions, basil, tarragon)

Instructions

1. Cut eggplant into 1-inch pieces and place in colander set over a large bowl.
2. Coat eggplant with 2 tsp salt and set it aside until beads of water appear all over the eggplant, about 1 hour.
3. Using paper towels, squeeze water from eggplant chunks.
4. In large frying pan over medium-high heat add 3 tsp olive oil.
5. Add eggplant and sauté until it starts to soften, about 5-7 minutes.
6. Stir in onions and turmeric.
7. Continue cooking until onions soften.
8. Stir in garlic and tomatoes.
9. In small bowl, whisk together eggs with ½ tsp salt.
10. Gently stir eggs with vegetables until eggs are fully cooked.
11. Serve lavash, radishes and fresh herbs.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

6

Serving Size:

1 cup
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 140Total Fat: 8.4gSaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 186mgSodium: 270mgCarbohydrates: 9.9gFiber: 4gSugar: 5.2gProtein: 8g

PS If you try this recipe, why not leave a star rating in the recipe card right below and/or a review in the comment section further down the page? I always appreciate your feedback.

You can also follow me on Pinterest, Facebook or Instagram. Sign up for my eMail list, too!

Disclosure: As I am part of the Darling Dozen, I did receive a stipend from Davidson’s Safest Choice Eggs™ to develop a recipe using their pasteurized eggs. The story I have written is all true, and the opinions are truly mine. If I didn’t like it, I wouldn’t blog about it.