Mediterranean Platter I Kashk O Badmejan - Eggplant Dip

I was introduced to Mediterranean food only after I came to the US. A plateful of piping hot crisp falafel, soft pitas, delicious garlicky hummus, refreshing salad and an amazing eggplant dip.. now that’s one delicious platter. Not to forget a delectable dessert to finish the meal yummy Basbousa or the glorious Baklava, more on the Basbousa in another post.

Falafel

Whole-wheat Pita Bread

Hummus

Kashk O Badmejan (recipe below)

Tomato Cucumber Onion Salad

Basbousa

I’ve made this platter many a time in these past few years. We’ve had Arabic Night themed parties just so we can indulge in these dishes. But one dish I hadn’t made before is the Kashk o Bademjan, Kashk o Badmajoon or Kashk e Bademjan. One of our favorites at a local Falafel place, we never fail to order it when we dine in. Kashk is the main ingredient in Kashk O, it adds a certain creaminess to it which is irresistible. Kashk is made from drained yoghurt or drained sour milk, by forming it and letting it dry. To use it, it must be diluted to make a paste. The closest substitute to this would be Sour cream.

If you see this on the menu when you visit a middle eastern, Persian or Iranian restaurant, be sure to give the Kashko Badmejan a try.

Kashk O Badmejan:

You will need:

1 large Japanese eggplant (You can use Chinese eggplants too)

2 tbsp Dried mint (substitute fresh mint)

2 cloves of garlic, minced

4 tbsp Oil

1 large onion, thinly sliced

½ tsp Sugar

2 tbsp Kashk (substitute with sour cream)

Salt to taste

Heat 2 tbsp of oil in a wide pan. Peel the eggplant and cut into small cubes. Add to the pan and sauté. Add minced garlic and dried mint. I used fresh mint since that’s something I have on hand at most times. Finely chop the fresh mint and add it to the eggplant. 

Cook the eggplant on medium heat for 8-10 minutes until it is soft and slightly brown. While the eggplant is cooking, in another pan, heat the remaining oil. Add the sliced onions and cook on medium heat. Add little salt and sugar, this helps the onions sweat a little and carmelize into this sweet smoky goodness. Watch the onions and turn off heat when done.

Once the eggplants are done, most recipes call for it to be mashed in the pan but I like a slightly smoother texture so I blended it with half of the carmelized onions and the kashk. Transfer it to a plate and spread it, top with a little olive oil and garnish with the remaining carmelized onions. Drizzle more kashk on the top. Serve warm with pita bread or pita chips. 

This marks the end of the Blogging Marathon #74 of this month for me. BM #75 in April is going to be one awesome adventure. Stay tuned! 

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing this BM#74