Kashke Bademjan | Spark A Little Sunshine | Lisa Alavi

Persian Kashke Bademjan is one of those dips that once you start you just can't stop. It is a sort of a comfort food in which every bite of the mashed eggplant seasoned with aromatics and carmelized onions hits the soul a little bit. It's both healthy and savory and the kind of snack that makes you feel all warm and cozy inside.

INGREDIENTS

1. 4 tablespoon Olive Oil
2. 1 large Eggplant or 3-4 small Chinese eggplants
3. 1 large Purple Onion or 2 Small Purple Onions Sliced 
4. 10 Cloves Garlic Minced
5. ½ teaspoon Turmeric
6. ½ teaspoon Sea Salt
7. ½ teaspoon Black Pepper
8. ¼ cup Water See Note #2
9. a drizzle of Greek yogurt or kashk ( see note below)
10. 1 tiny pinch of Saffron to bring in about two  table spoons of water, bring to boil to bloom Saffron then remove from heat… ( best way to source saffron is if brought back from overseas, but second best option is a Persian or Middle-eastern grocery store for quality)
11. .33 oz or about half a pack of from store of fresh Mint

INSTRUCTIONS

• Peel the eggplants and cut them in halves lengthwise, then cut each into half width-wise. You want long thin .5 inch width cuts that can easily be seared a lightly fried on each side.
• Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a pan, once hot, place the eggplants in the pan and sear on both sides until golden brown. The eggplants do not need to cook fully, just lightly brown, they will cook more later. 
• Take the eggplants out of the pan and place them in a plate. In the same pan, pour two tablespoons olive oil and sauté the onion until golden brown and caramelized. 
• Add in the garlic either by chopping or if more time grate into it and give it a nice stir. It will taste delicious either way but I prefer grating if time, so the garlic more spread and hidden throughout, but if I chop because it will naturally be larger bits, I can equally enjoy surprise bites of it in the dish, just depends on your mood and preference.
• Add in the browned eggplants, turmeric, salt and black pepper. Mix and add the water. Cover and cook for ten to fifteen minutes until the eggplants are cooked through. 
• Once the eggplants are cooked, turn the heat down to medium and mash the eggplants using a potato masher. 
• Add kashk, one tablespoon fresh mint (.33) and bloomed saffron to the eggplant mixture and stir well. Cook 8-10 minutes more so all the flavors marry together. 
• Serve warm with naan bread, warm pita, flat bread, or lavash. 

NOTE: You can find liquid kashk (yogurt whey) in Persian/Middle Eastern grocery markets. If you find dry kashk, mix ½ cup dry kashk with ½ cup boiling water and let it sit for some minutes, then mix it until it dissolves into a ketchup or mustard like consistency. If you cannot find kashk, don't have it on hand, or are not into it, you can simply use sour cream, European or Greek yogurt instead. 

Enjoy!! Yum!!