Make Ahead

Kashke Bademjan ~ Persian Style Roasted Eggplant Dip

by:
January 18, 2011
4.7
3 Ratings
Kashke Bademjan ~ Persian Style Roasted Eggplant Dip
  • Prep time 10 minutes
  • Cook time 45 minutes
  • Serves 4
Author Notes

An eggplant dip inspired by a famous Persian dip called Kashke Bademjan. Don't let the name intimidate you, this dip is really easy to make. Roasted eggplants are mashed up and added to the caremalized onions, which are sauteed with garlic, dried mint, saffron, some lemon juice, turmeric & salt/pepper to taste. Finally garnished with Kashk, chopped walnuts, & caramelized onions. Kashk is a fermented by product from cheese-making, Kashk has a strong flavor, like a liquid fetta cheese and is used extensively in Persian cuisine. I found Kashk at my local Middle Eastern market, it comes in a dried form which I just added some water to make a paste. {Please Note} Sour Cream makes a good substitute for the Kashk. Serve warm with Lavash or Pita Bread. —onetribegourmet

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • 1/4 cup or less, extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 large eggplants, roasted & mashed
  • 1 large onion, sliced thin
  • 3 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 2 tablespoons dried mint leaves
  • 1 tablespoon Kashk
  • 1/2 teaspoon saffron threads, soaked in 2 tablespoons of hot water
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 2 pinches or so salt & pepper to taste
  • 1 handful garnish with chopped walnuts, caramelized onions & fresh chopped mint
Directions
  1. Roast Eggplant coated with olive oil in a 400 degree oven until the skin is charred and the eggplant releases liquid. Take the roasted eggplant out of the oven, cover and let it rest for 10 minutes.
  2. Heat a heavy bottom pan and add olive oil to it. Now add the sliced onions and caramelize the onion on a medium heat. Heat should not be very high, otherwise onions will burn instead of caramelizing.
  3. Spoon out the onions onto paper towels leaving the oil behind in the pan.
  4. Now add garlic & mint and saute for 2 minutes.
  5. Now add to the same pan the roasted eggplant mixture{mashed}, caramelized onions {save some for garnish}, saffron liquid, lemon juice, turmeric powder & salt/pepper. Saute for few more minutes.
  6. For the Kashk, add 3 tablspoons water to 1 tablespoon Kashk powder. OR use sour cream diluted with some milk.
  7. Serve the dip on a plate, first spoon the Kashk mixture, then garnish the dip with caramelized onions, toasted chopped walnuts, & chopped fresh mint.
  8. Serve this delicious Persian Dip warm with Lavash or Pita Breads.
Tags:
Contest Entries

See what other Food52ers are saying.

  • FoodieFara
    FoodieFara
  • briggsy
    briggsy
  • lastnightsdinner
    lastnightsdinner
  • AppleAnnie
    AppleAnnie
  • melissav
    melissav
onetribegourmet
Hi I'm Sara and I love the art of food & travel. I have a blog called One Tribe Gourmet, where I share my passion for global cuisine and my travel adventures around the world. I have always felt that food is the most common denominator that crosses all boundaries and brings people together. The ritual of “Breaking Bread” in every culture is a special bonding experience. Personally I love to experience different cultures through there cuisines! My goal here is to encourage an individual who is interested in learning different global cuisine yet is a bit intimidated by it. I am here to help you, all you have to do is open your heart!!!

Popular on Food52

15 Reviews

Deborah
Deborah June 11, 2015
Do you use the skin of the eggplant or not?
 
tavsanoglu
tavsanoglu August 3, 2013
Do you eat this chilled or freshly made, warm?
 
Sara
Sara August 12, 2013
Warm!
 
Cheiranthus
Cheiranthus July 1, 2013
Do you have an approximate weight for the cooked eggplant? Fresh ones vary so much in size and I often use canned, grilled eggplant for seasonal/time concerns.
 
dkhoshabo
dkhoshabo June 27, 2013
Never sautee mint for two minutes. when the garlic is 10 seconds from done add the mint and remove from the heat, or you'll have burnt mint
 
FoodieFara
FoodieFara October 7, 2011
Hello! Great recipe. I don't see how much turmeric is needed.. Thanks!
 
briggsy
briggsy February 3, 2011
this looks awesome! i'm making this tonight for a persian dinner tomorrow night. let it marinate a little! also gonna make a salad with sumac and lime dressing and chicken kebabs/Jujeh kabab. i love the tangy lemony goodness of persian food! thanks for posting!
 
lastnightsdinner
lastnightsdinner January 22, 2011
Wow, this looks amazing!
 
onetribegourmet
onetribegourmet January 22, 2011
Thanks so much Jen! :)
 
AppleAnnie
AppleAnnie January 19, 2011
Sound wonderful; lemon + eggplant + walnuts + garlic is usually a winning combination.
 
onetribegourmet
onetribegourmet January 19, 2011
Thanks Annie! :)
 
melissav
melissav January 19, 2011
Sounds awesome. Could you use yogurt instead of the Kashk or is sour cream really a better option?
 
onetribegourmet
onetribegourmet January 19, 2011
Thanks Melissa! I think yogurt will work fine too in this recipe! :)
 
fortheloveofyum
fortheloveofyum January 19, 2011
I really enjoy kashk-e-bademjan. My BIL took us to a Persian restaurant and theirs was fantastic.

Yours looks really good! Lovely presentation :)
 
onetribegourmet
onetribegourmet January 19, 2011
Thank you Nadia! :)