Keep things cool and exotic with this ridiculously easy to make yet delicious Borani Bademjan (Persian Eggplant Dip with Yogurt).
When you think of fall, you imagine the changing of the seasons. Here in the U.S. this means the end of warm summer nights and the beginning of cool fall evenings. But in San Diego, summer lingers a little longer.
We often have hot and dry Octobers which finds us in the heart of fire season. So while everyone else is enjoying hot stews and warm bowls of soup in cool weather, we are still grilling, enjoying ice cream and keeping cool with cold delights.
With the drought this year, we did not plant too much in our summer vegetable garden. Instead, I will reminisce about the eggplant and tomatoes we enjoyed in summers past.
During these last few weeks of warm weather, many Southern California gardens are still producing summer produce. That is why this year, to celebrate fall and Mehregan (the Persian fall holiday), I decided to keep things on the cooler side.
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Recipe highlights
- Unique: This recipe is a not as popular as another Persian eggplant appetizer, kashke bademjan, but it is equally delicious. We Persians love our eggplant, and it is an under appreciated vegetable here in the US.
- Simple: It is not difficult to make eggplant borani. You can fry the eggplant, but I find that it is easier and healthier to bake it. Although you can use regular globe eggplants for this recipe, any variety of eggplants can be used.
- Flavor: Persian borani is a yogurt dish mixed with vegetables, in this case eggplant and caramelized onions. It is seasoned with mint and when everything comes together, makes an incredible and delicious dish. Scoop up all that deliciousness with small pieces of lavash, pita or even pita or potato chips!
- Party food: You can easily dress it up with gorgeous garnishments for a crowd pleasing appetizer or keep it simple for a cool bite to eat during the hot summer months.
Ingredients you need
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- Eggplant: You can use any variety of eggplant, but I am partial to the smaller versions as they have less seeds and water.
- Yogurt: I prefer thick Greek style yogurt or Persian yogurt, which is a little sour in flavor. You can also make your own yogurt.
- Walnuts: These add a little crunch. You can also use pecans or omit altogether.
- Dried mint: You could also use fresh mint, but dried mint sautéed in olive oil is incredibly fragrant.
- Kitchen staples: Extra virgin olive oil, onion, garlic, salt and pepper
- Optional garnishing: crushed saffron dissolved with 1 TBS hot water and/or crushed rose petals.
Step-by-step directions
- Bake eggplant. Wash eggplant and poke with a fork several times. Place eggplants on oven rack and bake at 350ºF until done. Be sure to put a tray underneath the eggplants to catch drips. Remove eggplants from oven and allow to cool. Once cool enough to touch, cut in half and scoop out and mash the soft flesh. Reserve in a bowl.
- Caramelize onions. Heat a large frying pan over medium-high heat and add olive oil and sliced onions. When onions start to soften, reduce heat to medium-low and cook until onions brown and caramelize, about 30 minutes.
- Combine the vegetables. Mix mashed eggplant into the onions along with garlic, salt, pepper and dried mint. Cover and cook for 5 minutes then turn off the heat. Remove from heat and let cool.
- Add yogurt and garnish. Mix yogurt with eggplant mixture. Transfer dip into serving bowl. Garnish with 1 teaspoon mint, saffron water, walnuts and rose petals.
Recipe tips and FAQs
Are you a fan of yogurt dishes? You should try my mast o khiar (Persian yogurt with cucumber or my Persian Yogurt Spinach Dip (Borani Esfenaj). You can serve either with lavash, pita wedges or even potato chips. You can also serve it with Persian dolmeh, too.
Storing/Freezing Instructions
TO STORE: Store any leftover borani in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 4 days.
TO FREEZE: You can also freeze leftovers. Transfer to a resealable bag or freezer safe container and freeze for up to 4 months.
Borani is typically served as a dip. You can serve it with pieces of flat bread like lavash or with pita bread. You can also serve with potato chips, pita chips or vegetables like carrots, celery and cucumbers.
Persian borani is a yogurt dip that is mixed with sautéd vegetables. Some vegetables include spinach beet root, celery, zucchini, butternut squash, pumpkin and eggplant. Herbs, onions and garlic are also mixed in for more flavor.
You should use a thick plain yogurt to make borani. Greek yogurt, for example, is readily available in grocery stores and makes a great base for borani. Do not use a watery yogurt, as it will not be able to hold up the vegetables. Also try yogurts you find in middle eastern stores or more your own. Just pass it through a cheese cloth to drain out the excess water.
Borani Bademjan (Persian Eggplant Dip with Yogurt)
Ingredients
- 2 lb eggplant
- 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 large onion sliced thinly
- 4 garlic cloves crushed
- 1 ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 cup yogurt
- 1 ¼ teaspoon dried mint optional
- ⅛ teaspoon crushed saffron dissolved with 1 TBS hot water (optional)
- 2 tablespoon finely chopped walnuts
- 1 tablespoon dried crushed rose petals
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350ºF.
- Wash eggplant and poke with a fork several times. Place eggplants on oven rack and bake until done, 30 minutes to 1 hour, depending on the size and thickness of your eggplant. Be sure to put a tray underneath the eggplants to catch drips.
- Remove eggplants from oven and allow to cool. Once cool enough to touch, cut in half and scoop out and mash the soft flesh. Reserve in a bowl.
- Heat a large frying pan over medium-high heat and add olive oil and sliced onions. When onions start to soften, reduce heat to medium-low and cook until onions brown and caramelize, about 30 minutes.
- Mix mashed eggplant into the onions along with garlic, salt, pepper and ¼ teaspoon mint.
- Cover and cook for 5 minutes then turn off the heat. Remove from heat and let cool.
- Mix yogurt with eggplant mixture.
- Transfer dip into serving bowl. Garnish with 1 teaspoon mint, saffron water, walnuts and rose petals.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclaimer
Nutritional information is an estimate provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the actual nutritional information with the products and brands you are using with your preferred nutritional calculator.
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Written by Laura Bashar
Hi, I’m Laura, a certified professional cook and cookbook author living in San Diego. I have been sharing my family’s favorite recipes inspired from all over the world since 2008. Let’s cook up something fun!
This is SO pretty looking! Just gorgeous. Gorgeous tasting too, I’ll bet Thanks!
Hi Laura what is the difference in taste between this dish and the kashke bademjan?
Hi Maria,
Great question! Borani is primarily a yogurt dish with a vegetable mixed in it. For this recipe, it is eggplant. Kashke bademjoon is primarily an eggplant dish with very little kashk, whey or sour cream, mixed into it. So the flavors are very different. Borani bademjoon is more of a yogurt dish with a hint of eggplant and kashk bademjoon is tastes like eggplant, garlic and mint with a little creaminess to it.
Hope that helps!
Laura
Beautiful!! Your mother-in-law did a great job decorating. I wonder if ghost eggplants are less bitter than the regular kind?
I didn’t find the ghost eggplants to have a different flavor than the other eggplants. But these were more firm and had less seeds. But I’ve always been partial to the smaller varieties!
Indeed, we Persians adore eggplants! I love all kinds of boranis, especially one made with eggplants… and yours is one fine borani’s bademjan! I must also compliment your mother-in-law who gave it a beautiful final touch.
My apologies for a delayed comment on this special Mehregan post. I was able to communicate from the hotel, but our cruise ship had technical internet problem. We returned 2 days ago. 🙂 xx
I made this last night (without the gorgeous garnish; I wish I had your mother-in-law’s skill!).
I used 2% Greek Yogurt (no labneh to be found) and added some extra garlic.
It’s absolutely amazing spread atop warm pita and tastes much richer than it actually is. I love it and I’m currently busy thinking of other ways to enjoy the leftovers.
I’m so glad you made it and liked it! You can’t go wrong with extra garlic. You can also dip vegetables in it, like carrots, celery and radishes.
Laura joon thanks for introducing me to Ghost Eggplants! So unique and beautiful… The garnish on top of your borani-e bademjan is just perfect, hope you had a nice Mehregan 🙂 xx
Laura jan, gorgeous photos and a delicious recipes ;especially with home-grown ghost eggplants, can’t get better than that. Happy Mehregan xoxo
OMG Laura!! This looks sooo gorgeous and delicious. I have never had this before and must absolutely try it. Thank you!
Am on a lengthy blogbreak but just had to pop in to say what a beautiful recipe this is: saw the picture come up on another Mehregan post and am glad I came to look! [Just could not find eggplants on your recipe?] . . . . And tho’ I also love the smaller varieties I have never come across the beautiful ‘ghost’ ones . . .
Hi Eha! My database was playing tricks on me. Somehow a step did not get saved. I fixed it now. Recipe calls for 2 pounds of eggplant. The ghost eggplants are hard to find in the market. I grew those beauties. But I have seen them at farmer’s markets. xoxoxo
Laura, what a gorgeous presentation and I love the albino eggplants!
Happy Mehregan!
Laura, this is tempting me so much right now! I love it and your mother-in-law made such a pretty decoration on top. It is definitely prepared with love. Happy Mehregan!
Delicious dish and beautiful presentation, thank you and your mother in law for this recipe. Such a gorgeous dish!