Persian Eggplant Dip

Lately we have been making dinners around an appetizer. I make a dip of some sort and accompany it with fresh chopped veggies, crackers and if we need some thing extra some grilled fish, lentils of chicken. I make this Persian Eggplant Dip quiet often, after I discovered it a few years ago at a Persian restaurant in Santana Row shopping center, San Jose, CA. It was a small eatery outside the main mall, that unfortunately closed a couple years ago. Anyway I recreated the recipe after a bit of research and its pretty close. The traditional name for this dip is Kashk Bademjan, a popular dip from Iran. I wouldn’t call my version authentic but it tastes darn good.

WHAT IS KASHK BADAMJAN

KASHK BADAMJAN is an Eggplant dip from Iran, Kashk is yogurt whey, Badamjan is eggplant. It’s a delicious dip made with fried or sautéed eggplant, onion, garlic along with saffron, mint, then blended with yogurt or kashk, a Persian version of yogurt. It’s enjoyed with Lavash or any flatbread and a herb salad.

HOW TO MAKE KASHK BADAMJAN

The more traditional method of making kashk bademjan is to fry the eggplant, onion and garlic separately until they’re golden brown, then mashed. Its a simple method, but will need a lot of oil as eggplants love to soak oil.

To make things lighter I prefer pre baking the eggplant to partially cook them and then finish cooking them along with the aromatics in a pan. So first start with peeling the eggplant, then dicing them into pieces. Followed by baking them in the oven or air fryer. Once partially done proceed with sautéing with onion and garlic and other aromatics, cover and cook for about ten to fifteen minutes until the eggplants are fully cooked. Mash the eggplant mixture well and add yogurt.

WHAT IS SO DIFFERENT WITH THE PERSIAN EGGPLANT DIP

Firstly Kashk bademjan is sautéed, no charring, that means no mess and smoking up the kitchen I love that! Secondly its served warm or at room temperature. And unlike other creamy dips, yogurt or kashk (yogurt whey) is added to give it that creamy luxurious texture and flavor. I’m all for that. This eggplant dip makes a great appetizer for a family pre meal snack or a dinner party.

HOW TO SERVE THIS PERSIAN EGGPLANT DIP

This Persian eggplant dip is perfect served as an appetizer, light dinner with some protein or as a side dish. Kashk Bademjan is usually served with breads like lavash, pita or naan and a side of fresh herb salad such as arugula, parsley, mint, chopped onions, diced cucumber and olives maybe some feta.

 

PRO TIPS:

• I found Kashk at my local Mediterrean market, but greek yogurt totally works.
• Seedless varieties of eggplant or ones with fewer seeds works best. I like large globe eggplant, Italian or Japanese varieties for this recipe.
• TIP: look at the indentation at bottom.  If it’s deep and shaped like a dash, it’s a female.  If it’s shallow and round, it’s a male, male tend to have fewer seeds.
• Always peel the eggplant for this dip for a better texture.

Kashk Bademjan (Persian Eggplant Dip)

Ingredients

• 1 large or smaller variety of eggplant/s, about 1.5 lbs
• 1 medium onion finely diced
• 4 cloves garlic minced, about 1 teaspoon
• ½ teaspoon turmeric
• ¼ teaspoon saffron
• 3-4 tablespoons e.v olive oil
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ teaspoon Black Pepper
• Water as needed
• ½ cup greek yogurt or Kashk
• 2 tablespoons dried Mint 
• 2 tablespoons walnuts for garnish, optional
• SERVING SUGGESTIONS
• Herb salad made with 1/2 cup each of Arugula, parsley, a few mint leaves, 1/2 a medium onions chopped, a diced Persian cucumber, a few olives, some crumbled feta.

Instructions

• Peel the eggplants and cut them small cubes.
• Toss the eggplant pieces with salt and one tablespoon oil. Place them on a baking sheet and bake them for 10 minutes in a 375° F oven. Alternatively cook them in an air fryer. Don’t worry if the eggplant is still undercooked, The eggplants will finish cooking with the aromatics in the pan.
• Heat two tablespoons olive oil in a skillet and saute the chopped onions and garlic until golden brown and soft on medium heat. 
• Add the partially cooked eggplant, turmeric, saffron, salt as needed and black pepper. Mix and add about 2 tablespoons of water. Cover and cook for 10-12 minutes until the eggplant is very soft. 
• Once the eggplant are cooked and soft, take it off the heat. Add the Greek yogurt or kashk, one tablespoon dried mint to the eggplant mixture and stir well. Mash the eggplant with a fork or potato masher or a small blender. 
• Serve warm with pita, lavash or naan and herb salad as suggested.