Persian Eggplant Dip with Fried Mint (Kaske Bademjan)

This is a lighter, healthier alternative to traditional Kaske Bademjan, an aromatic Persian eggplant dip that my family would make quite often. This version is oil-free when traditionally you'd use at least 1/4 cup of oil just to start (which is approximately +477 empty calories!), and I used 0% greek yogurt instead of traditional Kashk which is a Persian style whey that's also pretty high in fat. I do use about a tablespoon of oil to "fry" the mint which is still minimal to traditional and I haven't found an alternative to create that aroma, still working on it :) 

It's very rare that I use any animal products, and decided to use greek yogurt here for cleaner ingredient (whole-food, unprocessed) and truest to traditional Kashk flavor. If you're a passionate vegan, I encourage you to make your own vegan probiotic coconut yogurt since I find that most vegan alternative yogurts have dirty ingredients or are highly processed (if you know of a clean source, please share! The cleanest vegan alternative I can currently find on market is GT'S CocoYo, Pure which vegans can use to sub for yogurt in this recipe.

Persian Eggplant Dip with Fried Mint (Kaske Bademjan)
by Sarah Farsh April 21, 2020
  • 1 large eggplant, dry-roasted
  • 5 cloves garlic, dry-roasted
  • 1 heeping handful of fresh mint leaves, minced
  • 1 tbsp dried mint leaves
  • 1 cup 0% plain greek yogurt or vegan plain yogurt of choice
  • 1/2 cup chickpeas, or white beans (optional to thicken)
  • 1 lemon, juiced
  • 2 tsp kosher salt
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • green onions, chopped thin for garnish
  • 1/2 sweet onion, sliced thin, dry-sautéd with salt and turmeric (optional for garnish)
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
In a food processor or blender, blend together roasted eggplant, garlic, yogurt, lemon juice, salt, onion powder and add chickpeas for thicker consistency (leave chickpeas out if you want smoother/lighter). Start slow with blender on-off to avoid turning into a smoothie! You can always go smoother, but it's harder to go chunkier so blend mindfully. Meanwhile, heat up olive oil in a small pan and lightly fry fresh and dried mint with a pinch of salt. Move blended eggplant dip into a serving bowl and poor mint oil on top. Add warm sautéd onions as optional garnish on top, fresh mint leaves and green onions. Enjoy with crackers, bread or fresh crudités! 

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