While perusing through the aisles of our local grocery store, I happened to find a new item in the spice rack. Not knowing what that Afghan Curry spice mix entailed, I picked up the bag and immediately thought about creating a combination of spices and flavors to pay tribute to one of my favorite international cuisines, Afghan. Vivid visions of exotic bright-colored markets begin to spiral in front of my eyes, conjuring sudden bursts of intense flavors in my mouth. Just like that, I knew exactly what to put on our dinner table that night.
Prep Time: 25 min | Cook Time: 50 min | Serves: 4
Recommended Condiments: Pomegranate Molasses, Tahini, Chopped Parsley, Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
Bulgur Stuffing
- 4 “Graffiti” Eggplants
- 1 Zucchini Squash
- 1 Green Bell Pepper – diced
- 1 Yellow Onion – diced
- 3 cups Vegetable Broth
- 1 ½ cups Bulgur Wheat
- 1 cup Parsley – chopped
- ½ cup Walnuts – chopped
- ½ cup Pitted Dates – diced
- 1 tbsp Rumi Afghan Curry Braise
- 1 tsp Salt
To prepare the eggplant boats
Slice the eggplants and zucchini in half, lengthwise. In a greased oven dish, broil on low for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside.
On to the stuffing
In a medium saucepan, bring the vegetable broth to a boil and add the bulgur wheat all at once. Stir with a wooden spoon, and add the bell pepper, onion, salt, and seasoning. Cover with the lid and cook on medium until the liquid is entirely absorbed, at least 12 minutes. Turn the burner off, add the dates, walnuts, and parsley to the bulgur in the saucepan. Give it a good mix and set aside to cool with the lid off.
Preheat oven to 400.
Remove the flesh from the eggplants and zucchini, chop the strips of flesh into ½ dice, add to the bulgur and, again, mix well. Stuff the vegetables with the bulgur mix and place in a greased oven dish, ideally terracotta, drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil, and molasses, and bake for 15 minutes.
Remove from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes. After resting, the dish may be served with a drizzle of tahini and a sprinkle of fresh parsley.
Extras and Tips
Since the vegetables will need to be stuffed with the bulgur, leave a little flesh against the walls, so that the vegetables retain their shape, otherwise you will have difficulties stuffing them. If your eggplants and zucchini squash have too many seeds, remove some. Smaller eggplants and squashes are usually on the fleshy, low seed side, but you can occasionally find some that are not. This depends on: first, the variety of eggplant and squash that you utilize; second, the ratio of heat to water that they received while maturing on the plant; and third, their freshness (if store-bought, they may not be as fresh as you may think).
Note that pomegranate molasses is pretty sweet and tangy, so be sure to pour just a small drizzle over the baked veggies.
The brand of spices and seasoning I mentioned in the intro is truly worth looking into by the way. Its name is Rumi, and it seeks to empower communities in Afghanistan by establishing a network of direct trade, mostly with women in rural regions, and providing reliable wages. See https://www.rumispice.com/ for further details.
