Kashk-e Bademjan or Kashk-e Bademjoon (Persian: کشک بادمجان) is a delicious Iranian dish. This tasty food is not only easy to cook but also has many fans. Kashk-e Bademjan is one of the preferred options for the family and is usually served as lunch or dinner or at parties and ceremonies as an appetizer with specific decorations along with other dishes. It is also known as the most famous Iranian appetizer. Few Iranians can be found who do not have a memorable experience of the pleasant taste of Kashk-e Bademjan. This food is also popular and well-known among tourists and travelers who come to Iran.
There are various recipes to cook Kashk-e Bademjan in different parts of Iran. The two main ingredients are eggplant and kashk (a dairy product made from drained yogurt), usually included fried onions, fried garlic, and fried dried mint leaves. In some regions, depending on people's tastes or specific customs in cooking, other ingredients such as onion, tomato, lentil, nuts such as walnut and sunflower seed, and even meat may be added. In a common cooking technique, eggplant is peeled and sliced, fried in oil, and then mushed. The kashk is also placed separately on the heat and allowed to boil with a little spice. The kashk is then added to the mashed eggplant. The diced garlic is fried in oil and some of the dried mint powder is added. After that, this mixture is added to the combination of kashk and eggplant and gives a distinctive aroma and flavor to this food. When the Kashk-e Bademjan is cooked, it is brought to the table along with Sangak bread, vegetables such as basil and onion. But in another recipe, kashk and eggplant are cooked separately and served in the same way.
People usually use tasty ghee and local kashk in the traditional recipe of Kashk-e Bademjan, enriched both flavor and nutritional values. A variety of local bread, Sangak, and Taftoon (Taftan) are served with Kashk-e Bademjan. It is worth mentioning that kashk is rich in calcium and is one of the most nutritious among all dairy products. Besides, this food enjoys a variety of vitamins A, B, E, and D, as well as a large number of nutrients.