Celebrity chef Najmieh Batmanglij shares one of her favourite recipes with GulfWeekly readers

(Khoresh-e Ghureh-o Jujeh-o Bademjan ba Chelow)
Servings: 4 • Preparation time: 40 minutes • Cooking time: 1 hour 35 minutes

Ingredients
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 pounds chicken legs with skin and all visible fat removed, rinsed, patted dry and dusted with a mixture of 1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper, 1/2 teaspoon turmeric and 1 tablespoon flour 2 medium onions, peeled and thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
1 cinnamon stick (4 inches)
1 teaspoon ground saffron, dissolved in 1/4 cup hot water
2 large tomatoes, pureed (2 cups)
1 cup unripe grapes (ghureh), fresh in season or jarred in brine, drained (available at specialty stores)
4 tablespoons fresh lime juice
9 Chinese eggplants
Garnish
1 cup virgin olive oil
2 large onions, peeled and thinly sliced
1 large tomato, peeled and quartered

Method
1. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in an ovenproof sauté pan, brown the chicken, add the onion, garlic and cinnamon, and sauté over medium heat, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon, for 20 minutes. Add the saffron water.
2. Pour in 2 cups tomato puree, unripe grapes and lime juice. Cover and simmer over low heat for 30 minutes.
3. Peel the eggplants and cut lengthwise in quarters. Rinse with cold water and blot dry. Brush each side of the eggplant with oil and place on a baking sheet. Grill the eggplant on both sides until golden brown, about 5 minutes on each side. Set aside.
4. For the garnish, heat the oil in a deep skillet or deep fryer and deep-fry the onion over medium heat until golden brown; remove, drain and set aside. In the same skillet, sauté the tomato for garnish, remove from the skillet and set aside.
5. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Arrange the eggplant, fried onion and sautéed tomato over the chicken; cover and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake for another 15 minutes.
6. Adjust seasoning to taste, garnish and keep warm in the oven until ready to serve.
Serving Note
Spoon individual portions onto a warm plate and serve with steamed Gilani rice or bread.