Khoresh Bademjan

Trim the lamb and cut into 3cm chunks, then season with half the salt and the black pepper.

Slice the aubergines lengthways into 1cm strips.

Layer the aubergine strips in a colander, sprinkle with a little salt and leave to drain for 20 minutes to draw out any bitterness, then pat dry with kitchen paper.

Peel and finely chop the onion, then peel and mince the garlic.

Chop the tomatoes.

Heat 2 tablespoons of the vegetable oil in a large saucepan and brown the lamb chunks all over, about 8 minutes.

Add the chopped onion and garlic to the pan and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.

Stir in the ground turmeric, chopped tomatoes and tomato paste and cook for 3 minutes.

Pour in the water, add the dried limes, bring to a simmer, cover and cook until a meat thermometer reads at least 90°C and the lamb pulls apart easily, about 70 minutes.

Heat the remaining vegetable oil in a frying pan and fry the aubergine strips in batches until golden on both sides, about 10 minutes.

Lay the fried aubergine strips over the top of the stew, cover and simmer gently for a final 10 minutes so the flavours meld.

Season with the remaining salt and remove the dried limes before serving.