PERSIAN COOKING - KASHKE BADEMJAN RECIPE! VEGETARIAN EGGPLANT DIP

KASHKE BADEMJAN (pronounced Cash-kay Bad-em-jan) is a traditional Persian eggplant dip that accompanies meals and is always a favorite amongst my guest. Bademjan literally translates into eggplant in Farsi while Kashka refers to a type of middle eastern dairy. Usually served a little warm or room temperature, this Persian eggplant dip or side dish should always be accompanied by toasted pita or flatbread wedges. I recently made kashke bademjan for a dinner party I had at my sister’s house in Los Angeles and as you can guess, it was a total crowd pleaser. If you are a Vegetarian, love Persian food, or are just a big fan of eggplants then I highly recommend you try this kashke bademjan recipe!

KASHEK BADEMJAN can also easily be made GLUTEN FREE if you serve it on a gluten free pita equivalent or vegan if you do not add the yogurt.

For my dinner party, I made a serving of this for about 6 people. This recipe yields enough for each person to have a really nice size dollop! 

PS Don’t forget to watch the video at the bottom if you need extra help!

INGREDIENTS:

6 Chinese Eggplants or Italian Eggplant - cut lengthwise into 1/4 inch strips (if you can’t find Italian or Chinese eggplant you can use regular eggplant too)
1 Cup of Vegetable Oil - divided in 4TBSP portions
4-5 cloves of Garlic minced
1.5 Large White or Sweet Onion chopped
2/3 Cup of Water
1 TSP Salt
1 TSP Pepper
1/2 TSP Cayenne Pepper
1/2 Cup of Walnuts - chopped (I bought them already chopped at the store to avoid needing a food processor)
1 TBSP dried Mint leaves
1 Cup of Plain Greek Yogurt (optional)
Pita Bread

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CHECK OUT THESE OTHER DELICIOUS RECIPES FOR SIDE DISHES!

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DIRECTIONS:

Start off by adding about 4 TBSP of oil to your skillet. Heat up the oil at medium heat and then add a single layer of eggplant. Cover and let cook for about 6 minutes. Keep an eye on the eggplant so that they don't burn. Once they are browned flip to the other side and let cook for an additional 3-4 minutes or until they are brown as well. Remove cooked eggplant from skillet and onto a side dish. REPEAT until this step until all the eggplant is fried.

In the meantime get another skillet and add about 3 TBSP of oil to it. Let it heat up at medium heat for a minute and once the oil is hot add the chopped onions. Let the onion cook it they become a nice golden (caramelized) colour. This may take several minutes but stir often so they do not burn.

Once all the eggplant is finished and removed from the first skillet add the spices and the garlic to the skillet. Let the garlic cook for a minute making sure to stir it around and coat the bottom of the skillet. Also make sure that the temperature is still on medium so you do not burn the garlic. After a minute add back in the eggplant and mix together. Once mixed add in the water and cover. Let this simmer for about 15-20 minutes or until the eggplant becomes soft and the water evaporates. You may notice that there is a lot of oil that has seeped out the of eggplant, you can drain a spoonful or two out.

In the other skillet the onions should start to look nice and golden. Once the onion is ready remove it from the heat and add in the dried mint. Make sure to crush the dried mint with your hands as you add it in to release/activate the mint smell. Mix in the mint with the onions. *I would remove 2-3 TBSP of this to use as a garnish later.

If you didn’t buy walnuts already chopped, add you walnuts to your food processor and chop them till they are fine but still crunchy (do not over do it otherwise they will become a paste or nut butter)

When the eggplant is nice and tender remove it from the heat and add in the onion, mint and walnuts and stir. 

If you are Vegan you are finished.

If you want to continue with the dairy stir in the Greek yogurt until it is fully blended.

Transfer the mashed eggplant to a serving bowl, add the onion garnish you set aside earlier and serve at room temperature with toasted pita or flat bread.

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Thanks for joining me today! I hope you enjoyed this Kashke Bademjan recipe as much as I do. If you have any questions or comments about this persian eggplant dip recipe, please feel free to leave them in the comments below and I will try and answer them as soon as I can!

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QUINOA TABBOULEH - GLUTEN FREE, VEGAN, VEGITARIAN, SOY FREE

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TABBOULEH traditionally is made with bulgur wheat or couscous. I made this recipe using quinoa as a substitute for its health and gluten free attributes and lets get real it taste pretty much the same. I really enjoy Tabbouleh salad as it goes with just about everything. Its also really good to keep in the fridge as a healthy snack and the Quinoa is a slow digesting carb/protien mix that makes you feel fuller longer - BOOM! 

INGREDIENTS:

1 Cup of Quinoa
2 Bushes of Parsley (cut off stems and mince)
1 Bush or 3/4 Cup of Mint (cut of stems and mince)
3 Medium Tomatoes
1/2 a Large Onion
3 Cloves of Garlic
Lemon Juice
Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:

Measure out 1 cup of Quinoa and add it to two cups of water. Bring the water and quinoa to a boil then cover the pot and reduce the heat to a simmer for an additional 15 minutes.

In the meantime go ahead and wash, dry and mince your Parsley and Mint. Add it to a large bowl.

Next chop the Tomatos in quarters and remove the seeds. Once the seeds are removed chop the tomato quarters down into small "pinkie nail" sizes. Add the chopped tomato to the bowl with the parsley and mint. 

Now you can chop the Onion into about the same size as you did the tomato and add it to the bowl.

Next you can mince the Garlic and add it to the bowl with the parsley, mint, tomatoes and onions.

Your quinoa should be done by now. If it is remove from heat and let cool. You don't want to add it to the bowl until it has completely cooled down.

While it is cooling you can juice the Lemons. I think I juiced about 5-6 lemons to yield about 1.5 Cups of juice.

Once the Quinoa has cooled down add it into the bowl with the other ingredients followed by the lemon juice. You can also add 2 TBSP of Olive oil and mix all the contents of the bowl together. You can add salt and pepper at the end for taste as well as more lemon juice if you fancy it.

Can you dig it???? Whats your take on Tabbouleh? Has anyone ever toasted their Quinoa before cooking it? Not sure how I feel about the taste. Share your thoughts by commenting.
 

This post was inspired by Tori Avey of http://toriavey.com/ She is one of the food blogs I always like to follow and be inspired by.

PERSIAN COOKING - BASMATI RICE WITH TADIG! VEGITARIAN, GLUTEN FREE, SOY FREE

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If you have been to a Persian restaurant before you have probably had Persian basmati rice but have you had Tadig? Tadig is a crispy/cracker like layer of rice that can be found at the bottom of the pot and is something that my siblings and I fight over at dinner. Often Persian restaurants don't serve Tadig because in order to yield larger amounts of rice quickly they steam the rice which cooks it evenly and therefor doesn't produce Tadig. Cooking the rice in the traditional matter allows this crispy layer to form at the bottom which you later top the rice with before you serve. Once you get really good at making Tadig you can take it one step further and add in potato slices for extra flavor and decoration.  

INGREDIENTS:

3-4 TBSP Salt
3-4 Cups Basmati Rice (enough for 9-12 servings)
1/2 Cup of Butter
A pinch of Saffron
1-2 TBSP Olive Oil

DIRECTIONS:

Fill a pot with water and bring to a boil. You only need enough water to cover the amount of rice you are cooking plus another two to three cups.

While you are waiting for the pot of water to boil wash the rice in warm water, drain and repeat until the water becomes clear.

When the water in the pot starts to boil add in the salt and let boil for a minute then add in the rice and let the water continue to boil on high for 5 minutes.

While the rice is boiling melt butter in a small pot using the stove or in a bowl in the microwave. Grind the Saffron into a powder using a mortar and pestle and add it to the melted butter. Once the butter is melted add the saffron to it and mix together.

After the five minutes are done add warm water to the pot over the sink so the water overflows and all the starch sitting on the top of the water overflows out and over the rim.

After the starch is gone drain the rice into a colander (strainer). Place the pot back on the stove and add about 1 TBSP of olive oil to lightly coat the bottom of the pot. Add the rice back into the pot and mold the rice into a pyramid formation. Make four holes/tunnelsin the top of the pyramid that go all the way to the bottom of the pot using a chip stick or a knife and pour the melted butter and saffron down those holes. You can also save some butter and saffron and remove the top of the pyramid, dress the flat area with some butter and saffron and then replace the removed rice back on top.

Cook the rice for an additional 8 minutes on medium heat. Make sure the lid is tightly on so that the rice can steam. Check periodically to make sure there is no burning smell otherwise your stove may be too hot and you may be burning your tadig and the whole rice will taste burnt later - if this is the case turn down the heat.

After the 8 minutes are complete turn the temperature down even more to the lowest heat on your stove and let the rice continue to cook for 35 minutes.

After the 35 minute are complete the dish is ready to be plated. First empty the pot of the rice and then scrape and dig along the harden rice cracker bottom to release the tadig. Place the tadig on top of the rice with the browned side facing up.


The first time I tried this I did not succeed. I think I added a little to much oil to the bottom of the pot because I tend to "free pour" so do not worry it does take practice!!!

Have you done this before? Share your experience! I'd love to hear about your kitchen adventures.
 

Recipe Credit goes to Nurse Amanda