Persian starter · Mint oil and onions
Kashke Bademjan Recipe (Persian Eggplant and Kashk Dip)
Salt the eggplant. Cook until jammy. Three toppings.
Recipe by Farwa ZeeshanTested in the NineFoods home kitchenKashke bademjan is soft eggplant cooked down with garlic, mashed with tangy kashk, and topped with mint oil, crisp onions and walnuts. It turns bitter or greasy when the eggplant is fried raw. The fix is salting the eggplant, frying or roasting it until golden, then cooking it with a little water until completely jammy before mashing.
The 3 laws of kashke bademjan
Why this recipe works
Raw to pan
Salting removes bitterness.
Firm eggplant
Soft eggplant mashes smooth.
Plain
Mint oil, onions and walnuts make the dish.
Shopping and prep list
Ingredients
Dip
Toppings
The NineFoods mash gauge
Is the eggplant soft enough?
Press with the back of a spoon.
Method · 4 stages
Step by step
Salt
- Salt eggplant slices, rest and pat dry.
Fry
- Fry slices until golden (or roast at 220 C).
Cook down
- Add garlic, turmeric and water; cover and cook. Use the gauge above.
- Mash and stir in kashk for 2 minutes.
Top
- Spread on a plate; swirl kashk, mint oil, onions and walnuts on top.
Chef's troubleshooter
What went wrong? Pick the symptom
Why
Eggplant not salted.
Fix next time
Salt 20 minutes and pat dry.
Why
Fried in cool oil.
Fix next time
Fry hot or roast instead.
Why
Kashk is salty.
Fix next time
Do not add extra salt before tasting.
Why
Not cooked enough.
Fix next time
Cook until it collapses.
Swap smart
Ingredient roles and substitutes
| Ingredient | Job in the dish | Swap with |
|---|---|---|
| Kashk | Tang | Greek yoghurt with crumbled feta |
| Frying | Cooking | Roast or grill the eggplant |
| Walnuts | Crunch | Pistachios |
| Dried mint | Aroma | Fresh mint, added at the end |
After the meal
Serve, store, reheat
Serve with
Warm lavash or sangak as a starter.
Store
Fridge 3 days without toppings.
Reheat
Warm gently, then add fresh toppings.
How we tested this recipe
Tested in a home kitchen, not a studio
Recipe developed and tested by Farwa Zeeshan, who cooks and tests every NineFoods recipe on a regular home stove.
- Cooked from start to finish with the exact quantities above for 4 servings, using both the metric and US cup measures.
- Every one of the 4 stages was timed at the stove; heat levels and the 'look for' cues are what we saw in the pan.
- The doneness check (is the eggplant soft enough) and the troubleshooter come from batches that went wrong, and how we fixed them.
- Reheating and storage advice was checked on leftovers, not guessed.
Keep cooking
Related recipes and guides
Quick answers
Kashke Bademjan FAQ
What is kashke bademjan?
A Persian eggplant dip with kashk, mint oil and fried onions.
What is kashk?
Fermented whey with a tangy, salty taste.
Can I use yoghurt instead of kashk?
Yes, Greek yoghurt with a little feta works.
How is it different from mirza ghasemi?
Mirza ghasemi is smoked eggplant with tomato and egg; kashke bademjan uses kashk.