Middle Eastern & North African · Lunch · Dinner · Snack
Persian Eggplant Dip with Kashk
کشک بادمجان (Kashk-e Bademjan)
Silky roasted eggplant mashed with golden onions, garlic and tangy kashk, finished with a swirl of kashk, crisp mint oil and toasted walnuts. A lighter take on the Persian classic, roasted instead of deep-fried.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 45 min
- Total
- 60 min
- Serves
- 4
Calories come from: Carbs 40% · Fat 52% · Protein 8%
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Ingredients
For 4 servings- 2 large900 gEggplants (globe)
- 2 tbsp27 gOlive oil
- 2 medium220 gOnions
- 4 cloves12 gGarlic
- 1/2 tspGround turmeric
- 1/3 cup35 gDried kashk (kashk powder)
- 1/3 cup80 gWarm water for kashk
- 1/2 cup120 gWater
- 1 tbspDried mint
- 1/4 cup30 gWalnuts
- 1/2 tspBlack pepper
- 1 pinchSaffron threads (optional)
- 1 tbsp15 gHot water for saffron (optional)
Steps
- 1
Heat the oven to 220 °C / 425 °F and line a baking tray with parchment.
- 2
Peel the eggplants and cut them lengthwise into 2 cm thick slices.
- 3
Brush the slices on both sides with 1 tbsp of the olive oil and spread on the tray.
- 4
Roast for 30 minutes, turning once, until soft and golden.
- 5
Meanwhile, whisk the kashk powder into the 1/3 cup warm water until smooth and pourable, like thick cream. (Or use about 100 g ready-made liquid kashk instead.)
- 6
Thinly slice the onions and mince the garlic.
- 7
If using saffron, crumble it into the 1 tbsp hot water and set aside to steep.
- 8
Heat 2 tsp of the remaining olive oil in a non-stick pan over medium heat and cook the onions for 12-15 minutes, stirring often, until deep golden.
- 9
Set aside about a quarter of the fried onions for garnish.
- 10
Add the garlic and turmeric to the pan and stir for 1 minute until fragrant.
- 11
Toast the walnuts in a dry small pan for 3-4 minutes, then roughly chop.
- 12
Add the roasted eggplant to the onion pan and mash it with a potato masher or fork.
- 13
Stir in the 1/2 cup water and the pepper, and simmer for 5-8 minutes until thick and creamy.
- 14
Stir in about three quarters of the kashk and the saffron water, if using, and heat for 1-2 minutes without boiling hard. Taste; the kashk is salty, so no extra salt should be needed.
- 15
Warm the last 1 tsp olive oil in the small pan off the heat, stir in the dried mint for 10 seconds, and remove at once so it does not burn.
- 16
Spoon the eggplant onto a plate, drizzle with the remaining kashk, and top with the mint oil, reserved onions and walnuts.
Swaps, storage and make-ahead
Swaps
- If you can't find kashk, use thick strained Greek yogurt with a squeeze of lemon and a pinch of salt, stirred in off the heat so it doesn't split.
- For a vegan version, replace the kashk with an unsweetened plain plant-based yogurt labelled vegan, plus lemon juice and salt to taste.
- For a nut-free topping, swap the walnuts for toasted pumpkin or sunflower seeds.
- To save time, use about 100 g ready-made liquid kashk instead of mixing the powder with water.
Storage
Refrigerate leftovers in a covered container within 2 hours and eat within 3 to 4 days, reheating gently until steaming hot and adding fresh garnishes. Because of the kashk, it's best not to freeze it, as the texture can turn grainy.
Make ahead
You can roast the eggplant and fry the onions up to a day ahead and keep them covered in the fridge. Make the mint oil and toast the walnuts just before serving so they stay fresh and crisp.
Nutrition values are for the recipe as written.
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Allergens and nutrition
Contains: MilkTree nuts
Check the labels of packaged ingredients for allergens and suitability for your diet.
Full nutrition
| Per serving (357 g) | Per 100 g | |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 195 kcal | 55 kcal |
| Protein | 4.3 g | 1.2 g |
| Carbohydrates | 21.1 g | 5.9 g |
| of which sugars | 10.5 g | 2.9 g |
| Fiber | 8.5 g | 2.4 g |
| Fat | 12.2 g | 3.4 g |
| of which saturated | 1.5 g | 0.4 g |
| Sodium | 11 mg | 3 mg |
Nutrition is calculated from USDA FoodData Central data and may differ from what you cook.
