Kashke Bademjan (Persian Eggplant Dip) (2024)

FAQs

What is kashke bademjan made of? ›

Kashke bademjan, occasionally also spelled kashk-o-bademjan, is the name of a Persian eggplant dip made mainly with eggplants, onions and kashk, which is yogurt whey. The word "bademjan" means eggplant and kashk (yogurt whey) is a dairy product made of boiled and drained yogurt which has a salty and tangy flavor.

It is used in dishes like Ash Reshteh (a herb, lentil, bean and noodle soup) and Kaleh Joosh (a soup made with walnuts, onions and mint). In its dried form it needs to be soaked and softened before it can be used in cooking. The taste of kashk is distinctive and almost indescribable.

Classic baba ganoush is made by roasting eggplants until soft, scooping out the insides, and mashing with tahini, garlic, and spices. Served with pita or cracker, this eggplant dip is a great snack or party appetizer.

Kashke bademjan is made with onions, tomato, and mint, while baba ganoush is made with lemon, tahini, and garlic.

Kashk is most often referred to as liquid whey in English, but that is not really an accurate term. Whey is the liquid left behind after milk has been curdled and strained, mostly in yogurt or cheese manufacturing. Kashk is the actual curds from cooking the yogurt.

Indeed, yogurt is not commonly paired with sweet foods at all. Instead, yogurt is deployed as a souring agent to cut fatty foods because it is believed that its acidic properties “help flush the fat out of your system.”

Kashk is a rich source of beneficial LAB, particularly probiotic bacteria.

The kashk will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Stir before using. You can also freeze the kashk for up to 2 months. Thaw in the refrigerator, then stir before using.

A 10th-century Arabic cookbook describes two types of kashk, one made of wheat and leaven and another of sour milk. By the Middle Ages the word had two meanings, one referring to barley flour or a mix of barley and cracked wheat, and another to mean a meat or fowl dish cooked overnight (kashak or kashba).

Kashk goosfandi is a unique dairy product from Iran. It is a curd made from sheep's milk and results as a byproduct from traditional butter or yogurt making.

Is baba ganoush healthier than hummus? ›

In general, however, although you can gain more nutritional benefits from chickpeas than from eggplant, baba ganoush is healthier than hummus which is one major difference between baba ganoush and hummus. That is because 1 cup of chickpeas is equal to two or more eggplants.

Undercooked eggplant is often bitter, especially if you're using a thick-skinned globe eggplant commonly found at most grocery stores. Peel the skin or taste and cook the eggplant for a little longer if that's the case.

Key Ingredients and Preparation

Central to Baba Ganoush is the eggplant, charred to perfection to imbue the dip with its characteristic smoky flavor. Combined with tahini, garlic, lemon juice, and herbs, the result is a richly layered dip that's both complex and comforting.

Kashk is made from strained yogurt, drained buttermilk (in particular, drained qatiq) or drained sour milk by shaping it and letting it dry. It can be made in a variety of forms, like rolled into balls, sliced into strips, and formed into chunks.

In its most basic form, baba ganoush is made with eggplant, tahini, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic and salt. I found that adding a tiny bit of ground cumin, smoked paprika and fresh parsley takes it to the next level. Baba ganoush is similar to hummus, but it calls for grilled or roasted eggplant instead of chickpeas.

In a nutshell, kashk is fermented yogurt. I recently tried my hand at making homemade kashk. Yogurt is mixed with equal parts water and simmered for a couple of hours until all the liquid has evaporated and you are left with a loose pulp.

The taste of kashk is totally distinctive, so it's well worth hunting down in Middle Eastern grocers, specialist stores and online. If you can't get it, you can make a vague approximation by mixing sour cream or crème fraîche with grated parmesan, and possibly adding a few pulverised tinned anchovies.