Growing up, one of my favorite appetizers was Kashk-e bademjan, an eggplant dip. This simple dip has many ways of being cooked based on family and regionally.
As a child, I remember my mom frying Italian eggplants or bademjan. As the plate of eggplants slowly developed into a mountain, I would sneak a sample of the salted eggplant before it evolved into a dip. The last thing that is added to the dip is the kashk. Kashk is a dairy product made by draining yogurt, then allowing it to dry in the sun while in a cheesecloth. As it becomes a solid ball, it is rehydrated when ready to use. The flavor of kashk is unique in that it has this tarty and salty flavor that transforms and elevates dishes like kashk-e bademjan.
There are alternatives to kashk; I have seen many bloggers use vegan yogurts or vegan sour cream, which gives the creamy feel of kashk while missing the tart. When I was thinking of creating kashk-e bademjan, I wanted the dish to be a little more filling while having protein. This dip could almost be called bademjan humus, as chickpeas provide that creamy texture while maintaining the tart with a bit of lemon juice.
Ingredients:
- 3-4 italian eggplants or 1 large eggplant
- 3-4 tbsp oil
- 1/2 medium yellow onion thinly julienned
- 1 tsp of grated turmeric or powder
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 2 tbsp dry mint
- 1 can of chickpeas
- 1/2 a lemon
- 1/2 tsp salt (salt to taste)
- If using Chinese or Italian eggplants, cut the eggplant longwise and salt the meat of the eggplant. Salting will remove any bitter taste of the eggplant. If you are using a large eggplant, I find it easier to cut the eggplant into disks and then salt it. I prefer to let the eggplant sit like this for 15-30 minutes, to give the salt enough time to extract the water from the eggplant.
- Preheat the oven to 400F and place the sliced eggplants on a baking sheet.
- Lightly spritz oil on the eggplants, salt, and pepper, then place the eggplants in the oven and cook for 20 minutes.
- While the eggplants are cooking, in a pan, add 1 tbsp of oil and sauté ½ medium julienned onion along with 1 tsp of grated turmeric. Sauté the onions until they start to become crispy.
- After 20 minutes remove the eggplants from the oven. To test if they are cooked, it will be easy to mash the eggplants with a spatula. If they are ready, then transfer the contents into a blender.
- In a blender, add 1 can of strained chickpeas, the cooked eggplants, 1 tbsp of dry mint (adjust based on preference), 1 tbsp of oil, ½ of the crispy onions, pepper, and lemon juice (from half of a lemon). Depending on how thick you would like the dip, add water to adjust the thickness of the dip. Then blend for 10-15 seconds on medium to high.
- Lastly, plate the dip and enjoy!
