Naz Khatoon is a pickle originally from Mazandaran. Naz khatoon pickle is one of the most popular Iranian pickles, which is made with grilled eggplants and fresh local aromatic vegetables.
The aroma of grilled eggplant distinguishes this pickle from other Iranian pickles. The combination of these flavors with the mild spiciness of pepper and Abghore pickle makes this pickle very special and delicious.
This pickle and the Liteh pickle are very similar. But one of the first differences and perhaps the biggest differences between this Persian pickle and the Torshi Liteh is in the presence of eggplant.
How to make Naz Khatoon?
So far, we have learned how to grill eggplant, but let’s learn how to prepare this unique pickle.
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 30 minutes
Ingredients :
| Grilled eggplant | 2.2 pound |
| Chopp or minced basil | 1 cup |
| Dry mint | Two spoons |
| Garlic | One plant |
| verjuice (Abghoore) (Asgari Abghoore seems to give a better taste to pickles) | 1.5 glasses |
| Tomato |
Three pcs |
| Aromatic spices (salt, pepper, angelica, black seeds, etc.) | as needed |
Note: In the main recipe of Naz Khatun, it is mentioned to use Mazandaran local vegetables, but since not everyone has access to these vegetables, we can use other local vegetables.
How to prepare Naz Khatoon Pickled?
Instruction:
1. To prepare this pickle, first roast the eggplants that you have washed in advance in the oven at a temperature of 200 degrees Celsius for 20 to 30 minutes.
(You can also do this on a gas flame or charcoal grill)
2. Then peel the tomatoes and cut them into small pieces.
3. Take the grilled eggplants out of the oven, remove their skins, and chop the eggplants completely.
To prepare Persian Eggplant Pickled, chop grilled eggplants and mix them with peeled and crushed tomatoes. Now, divide the garlic into small pieces and pour some salt on it (let it stay for about 4-5 minutes).
4. In the meantime, chop your fresh vegetables. Wash them well the day before. Then, dry them in the open air for about 24 hours.
5. Next, by adding garlic to the eggplant and tomato mixture, we reach the stage of adding spices.
6. Mix the spices well with this mixture. Now, add your vegetables to this mixture. Next, you should add this whole mixture to a special container for pickles.
7.At the end,add verjuice(abghoore) to this dish to cover your mixture.
8. One thing that you may ignore is that if you use only water, the shelf life of pickles will not be very long. Therefore, if you want to increase this shelf life, it is better to use a combination of vinegar and water or empty vinegar.
9. Pay attention to the fact that the concentration of this pickle should be similar to that of Lite Pickle. Therefore, be careful that the pickled ingredients do not float in the vinegar or verjuice(Abghoore).
You can serve naz khatun pickle with mixed rice, kebab, and any food you like. But the main food they eat with this pickle is Adas polo, Chicken Koobideh, and Abgoosht.
What should Naz Khatoon’s eggplant look like?
Eggplant added to naz khatun pickle must be cooked. There are different ways to cook eggplant; we will examine two famous and common methods:
1. Grilling eggplant in the oven:
One of the common ways to grill eggplants is to use an oven. To do this, you need to do several steps:
- Wash the eggplants well. After washing the eggplants, put them in a towel to dry them well.
- Turn on your oven and leave it at a temperature of 200 degrees Celsius until it warms up a little.
- Now, while your oven is heating up, place a grease-proof paper on the bottom of the oven tray.
- This is done to prevent the eggplant from sticking to the bottom of the tray.
- Wound the eggplants with a knife. The meaning of wounding is to add some small and scattered cuts on the body of the eggplant. This will help the eggplant to cook better.
- Place the eggplants on a tray and grease-proof paper. Now put the tray in the oven and set the clock for 30 to 40 minutes.
- During cooking, it is necessary to turn the eggplants carefully until they cook well.
- After cooking eggplants, you should put them in a container with a lid, preferably plastic, and close it. Wait a while for it to steam well. Now, easily remove the skin of the eggplants.
2. Grilling eggplant on the stove:
- Another method of grilling eggplant, and perhaps the easiest method, is to use a gas stove. For this, it is necessary to follow the following protocol:
- It is necessary first to wash the eggplants well and then dry them well. In general, any excess water on the eggplant should be removed.
- Wound the eggplants using the method we mentioned before. Now, spread them at a distance (the eggplants shouldn’t stick together) on a flame and put them on a medium to low flame. Do not expose the eggplant to a direct flame.
- Let the eggplant cook well. Do not worry about burning the eggplant; wait until it is well grilled. You can even tell when it’s time to flip the eggplants when the skin burns on one side.
- Put the eggplants in a closed or plastic container, let it steam well, and peel the eggplants
- Fat eggplants are better for grilling.
NOTES:
- The vegetables used in the preparation of Naz Khatoon change according to the geographical region. In the north, to prepare naz khatun, in addition to mazandarani basil, they use vegetables such as; Chuchag, Zelang, and Khalwash.
- To make the ingredients more uniform, you can use a mixer instead of kneading so that the ingredients are crushed evenly.
- After making your Persian pickled, pour it into a bowl and put it in the refrigerator for 3 hours to fit more.
- In Mazandaran, Persian Eggplant Pickled is usually used as a seasoning along with Loobia Polo.
- To make naz khatun tastier, you can use black seeds and coriander seeds along with shallots. In some regions, they use vinegar instead of water.
- The main flavoring of this Persian pickle is verjuice(Abghoore). However, using it alone will reduce the shelf life of the pickle. Mixing vinegar with verjuice to increase the shelf life of your pickles.
- Naz Khatun pickle does not need to be stored to ripen. You can even consume it immediately after making it. But in order to get a better taste, it is better to keep it in the refrigerator for a day.
- In Mazandaran, there are no tomatoes in Naz Khatun’s pickles. But the taste of tomato and eggplant together will make it very delicious.
- Some people also use pomegranate paste along with the ingredients of this pickle.
- The period you should consume this pickle is almost one month.
- Naz Khatun’s storage place is in the refrigerator.
- Some people also use carrots in addition to the mentioned compounds.
- If you don’t like too much garlic or don’t like spiciness, use less garlic and pepper in pickles.
- Naz Khatun pickle, if it is made with verjuice(Abghoore), can be eaten when you have a cold.
- Instead of more aromatic vegetables, you can also use dried vegetables.
- Naz khatun pickles can be made with hot chili pepper. It becomes extremely spicy and delicious and goes well with any food, including felafel and abgoosht.
The benefits of Persian Eggplant Pickled:
- Persian Eggplant Pickled can be effective in reducing blood fat because it is made from verjuice(Abghoore) or vinegar, and the garlic used in it also reduces blood pressure.
- This pickle is anti-cancer, and the angelica used in it also strengthens the body’s general system.
- Basil is a germ killer and has enzymes that make the poison of meat foods disappear.
Total resulting:
Any food item can be made into pickles and jams, and all you have to do is add sugar or vinegar to them. Also, the final taste of the pickle can be changed by adding different ingredients.
What is important is its foundation, which determines its final name. For example, inthis pickle, eggplant, and special vegetables are the main ingredients, and if it is not prepared according to the mentioned method, you can no longer put naz khatoon’s name on it.
Eggplants are rich in fiber and antioxidants.
A serving of eggplant can provide at least 5% of a person’s daily requirement of fiber, copper, manganese, B-6, and thiamine. It also contains other vitamins and minerals.
In addition, eggplants are a source of phenolic compounds that act as antioxidants.
Antioxidants are molecules that help the body eliminate free radicals — unstable molecules that can damage cells if they accumulate in large amounts. Foods that contain antioxidants may help prevent a range of diseases.
Among the antioxidants in eggplants are anthocyanins, including nasunin, lutein, and zeaxanthin.
sourced:https:www.medicalnewstoday.com
FAQ:
1. What is Tarshi Nazkhatun?
Nazkhatun pickle is a traditional northern pickle that is prepared with grilled eggplant, aromatic vegetables such as basil, mint and coriander, garlic, and pepper.
2. What are the main ingredients to prepare Nazkhatun pickles?
The main ingredients include eggplant, garlic, aromatic vegetables (basil, mint, coriander), hot pepper, vinegar or water, salt, and spices such as angelica and black seeds.
3. How to prepare eggplants for this pickle?
Wash the eggplants and grill them with the skin on the gas flame, barbecue, or in the oven until their skin is burnt and their flesh is soft. Then remove the skin and mash the eggplants.
4. Does Nazkhatun pickle need time to ripen?
No, this pickle can be consumed immediately after preparation, but my experience has shown that it is better to keep it in the refrigerator for a day so that the ingredients are fully combined.
5. What should we do to make Naz Khatoon pickle last longer?
If you want your Persian Eggplant Pickled to have a long shelf life, boil the ingredients for 5 minutes after adding the verjuice(Abghoore).
It is better to keep naz khatun pickle in the refrigerator for two weeks to one month until it becomes completely solid and then consumed.
Make this great pickle today and enjoy!
- Get started right now and prepare this attractive and fragrant Iranian pickle at home and enjoy it.
- Share this recipe with your friends and let them know about this delicious recipe
- Talk to me about the taste and aroma of this pickle in the comments!
