Kashk‑e Bademjan (Persian Eggplant Dip)

Name: Kashk‑e Bademjan (Persian Eggplant Dip)
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Persian
Ingredients: 3 medium eggplants; 2 tbsp olive oil; 1 medium yellow onion; 6 clove garlic; 2 medium tomatoes; 1 tsp tomato paste; 1 tsp ground turmeric; 1 tsp salt; 1 1/2 tsp black pepper; 1 cup kashk; 2 tbsp butter; 2 tbsp dried mint; 1 tsp dried mint (for frying); 1 tbsp olive oil; 2 tbsp toasted walnuts; 1 tsp sumac; 1 piece flatbread or lavash; 2 tbsp water; 2 tbsp plain Greek yogurt

A warm, smoky eggplant dip finished with tangy kashk, caramelized onions and fried dried mint — a classic Persian small plate served with flatbread for scooping.

AI image

50 min

start to finish

20 min

hands on

Some skill

difficulty

servings

4 servings

Ingredients

Contains dairy. Cooking for an allergy? Check the label on every packet you use — brands differ, and we can only tell you what the recipe calls for.

Roughly, per serving

190 kcal6g protein14g carbs13g fat

An estimate, not a lab analysis.

Method

Preheat the oven to 220°C (425°F).
Prick the eggplants several times with a fork, place them on a rimmed baking sheet and roast until the skin is blackened and the flesh is very soft.
Turn once halfway so they char evenly.
Remove the eggplants from the oven and let cool on the sheet until you can handle them.
Peel the charred skin from the eggplants, discard skins, and drain any excess liquid; roughly chop or mash the flesh and set aside.
While the eggplants roast or once they come out, heat 2 tbsp olive oil and 1 tbsp butter (if using) in a 10-inch skillet over medium heat and add the sliced onion.
Cook the onion, stirring occasionally, until deep golden and caramelized.
Lower the heat if the onions brown too fast.
Add 3 crushed garlic cloves and the turmeric to the caramelized onion and cook 30 seconds until fragrant.
Stir in the chopped roasted eggplant, diced tomatoes (or prepared tomato paste + water), salt and pepper; bring to a gentle simmer and cook, stirring, until the tomatoes break down and the mixture thickens.
Mash the mixture in the pan with a potato masher or spoon to your preferred texture (smooth or slightly chunky).
Stir in 3/4 cup of the kashk to the eggplant mixture, taste and adjust salt; keep the remaining kashk for topping.
In a small skillet, heat 1 tbsp olive oil over medium-high heat, add the remaining 3 sliced garlic cloves and 1 tsp dried mint; fry until the garlic is golden and the mint crisps (about 30–60 seconds), then remove from heat.
Watch carefully — garlic burns quickly.
Spoon the eggplant dip into a shallow serving dish, make a shallow well in the center and drizzle with the remaining kashk.
Scatter the fried garlic and mint over the top, sprinkle with crushed dried mint, optional toasted walnuts and a pinch of sumac; serve warm with flatbread.

Worth knowing

Kashk is a fermented whey product; if you can't find it, use 1 cup plain Greek yogurt thinned with 2 tbsp water and 1 tsp lemon juice as a substitute (place in a cheesecloth and hang briefly for thicker texture if you want).
Char the eggplants on a gas burner or grill for a smokier flavor if you prefer.
Make the caramelized onions ahead and refrigerate — they deepen the flavor when re-warmed in the dip.
Store leftovers refrigerated up to 3 days; texture firms when cold — warm gently and stir in a little water or extra kashk to loosen before serving.

Make it yours

Cooking without dairy, without an oven, for someone who won't touch chilli, or for six instead of four? Have the recipe rewritten around it — quantities, steps and all.

VegetarianGluten-free

More Persian cooking

An original Restaurant Pro recipe — our own composition in the idiom of Persian cooking, not any restaurant's recipe. Written to be vegetarian and gluten-free as listed.