Persian Eggplant Dip

1.) If you don’t already have toasted walnuts and cooked lentils, this dip requires a fair amount of ingredient prep. If you are good to go, it’s as simple as a quick eggplant roast and a bit of blending in a food processor.
2.) Heat your oven to 425 degrees. Slice an eggplant in half and drizzle on olive oil, salt and pepper. Stab the eggplant a few times, then bake for 30-35 minutes.
3.) Scrape the eggplant out of its skin, then add all of your ingredients to a food processor. Pulse until you have a creamy mixture with a few chunks of lentil and walnut. A little bit of texture is delicious!
4.) Serve your dip up with crackers, toast, veggies or store in the fridge for up to a week.

Kashke Bedemjan – Persian Eggplant Dip (Prep Time: 10 minutes, Total Time: 45 minutes, Serves: 4-6)

I first tried this dip from a farmers market stand in Connecticut (probably the best thing I found there, no offense to Connecticut) and had to try to recreate it. I don’t think I hit all the marks in terms of authenticity, but it tastes pretty dang good to me and is very easy to make. This dip makes a great snack, appetizer or even meal. Between the walnuts, lentils, yogurt, herbs and vegetables you get a great balance of protein, carbs and fat. It’s delicious with cooked or raw veggies, and goes great on toasted bread.

Ingredients

1 cup toasted walnuts

1 large eggplant

1 cup cooked black lentils

1/2 cup green olives

1/2 cup plain greek yogurt

juice of 1 lemon

1-2 cloves of garlic

1 handful of mint leaves

olive oil (to drizzle on eggplant)

salt to taste

pepper to taste

Directions

1: Turn your oven on to 425 degrees. Slice an eggplant in half and remove the stem. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place on a lined baking sheet and bake for 30-35 minutes.

2: Once your eggplant is cooked, scoop the flesh out of the skin and add to a food processor. Place the rest of your ingredients in a food processor and pulse until you have a creamy mixture with some chunks of lentil and walnut remaining. The dip should not be completely smooth.

3: Serve with veggies, bread, crackers, pita, meat or anything else you desire!

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