Name: Kashke Bademjan
Cook time: 8100 s
Total time: 8100 s
Yield: 8
Ingredients: for the Dried Mint; 3 tbsp dried mint; 3 tbsp olive oil; for the Kashke Bademjan; 4 large eggplants; 3 medium yellow onions; 7 garlic cloves; A handful of walnuts; 1/2 tsp turmeric; 2 tbsp dried mint; 3 tbsp kashk (sub: whole fat Greek yogurt, labneh, or sour cream); Salt and black pepper to taste; Olive oil

Zachary Neman

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Or otherwise known as @cheffinwithzach. I would describe myself as both a nerd and foodie. I graduated college with a bachelor's degree in computer science (Yes, I could have coded the website myself, but I was lazy. My true passion is cooking (eating too, of course), and I decided to pursue all things food instead of entering the tech world.

I began making food content about a 2 years ago–I was instantly in love with the process of brainstorming creative content ideas then turning that into a reality. To me, food content means connecting with others through stories and new ideas about food while inspiring them to cook.

I'm incredibly grateful to have the opportunity and privilege to turn my passion my career. Right now, I'm creating cooking content and I couldn't be any happier.

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Kashke bademjan is my favorite dip of all time. There are so many similar eggplant dishes across cultures but this is the most unique–it’s the marriage of kashk (liquid whey), and eggplant. Kashk is not the easiest ingredient to find, so if you’d like to make this and can’t find it you can use whole fat greek yogurt, labneh, or even sour cream! You can keep it dairy free with tahini and the juice of a lemon–it won’t taste exactly the same but will be delicious nonetheless.

When making this it’s crucial to develop the sweetness necessary to balance the sourness of the kashk. Make sure to roast (or even fry) your eggplant and caramelize your onions until nicely golden brown. This is best eaten as an appetizer with some crackers or flatbread. Make it for some company and thank me later.

Kashke Bademjan

Heat olive oil in a small pan/saucepan over medium heat until shimmering. Add in dried mint and fry for a minute while stirring. Cut the heat and set aside.

Peel and slice eggplant lengthwise in half. Generously salt all over and let sit for 20-30 minutes. Preheat oven to 400ºF.

After the 20-30 minutes have passed, pat dry the eggplant, add a generous amount of oil, and roast it cut-side down on the lowest rack of the oven for 1 hour, flipping after 40 minutes.

While the eggplant roasts, thinly slice (or finely dice) the onions, grate the garlic, and finely chop the walnuts. Prepare the fried dried mint.

Fry the onions in a generous amount of olive oil and a pinch of salt over medium-high heat. When they just start to turn golden, add the garlic and continue frying until deep golden brown. Reserve about 2 tbsp of the onion and garlic mixture for garnish. Add the chopped walnuts, turmeric, and dried mint, and cook for a few more minutes.

Once the eggplant is ready, turn the heat to medium and add it to the pan. Mash it until it reaches a slightly chunky texture. Add the kashk and mix until thoroughly incorporated. Taste for salt and add if needed, along with some black pepper.

kashk (sub: whole fat Greek yogurt, labneh, or sour cream)

Top off the kashke bademjan with the reserved onion and garlic mixture, additional chopped walnuts, and fried mint. Serve with flatbread or crackers of choice.