Feta Cheese Spread

1 cup Feta cheese
8 oz. cream cheese (Philadelphia style)
1/2 teaspoon garlic puree
2 teaspoons fresh dill, finely chopped
2 teaspoons fresh sweet basil, finely chopped
2 teaspoons green onion tops, finely chopped
1/4 cup ground walnuts
1-1/2 teaspoons black pepper

In a large bowl mash the Feta cheese.  Add the cream cheese and blend well together.  Add the garlic, dill, basil and green onion tops and gently stir until well mixed.  Shape into a ball.  Combine the walnuts and black pepper.  Roll the cheese ball in the walnuts and then refrigerate for 2 hours.  Serve with small crackers.

Feta Cheese Spread

1 cup feta cheese
8 oz. cream cheese (Philadelphia style)
1/2 teaspoon garlic puree
2 teaspoons fresh dill, finely chopped
2 teaspoons fresh sweet basil, finely chopped
2 teaspoons green onion tops, finely chopped
1/4 cup ground walnuts
1-1/2 teaspoons black pepper

In a large bowl mash the Feta cheese.  Add the cream cheese and blend well together.  Add the garlic, dill, basil and green onion tops and gently stir until well mixed.  Shape into a ball.  Combine the walnuts and black pepper.  Roll the cheese ball in the walnuts and then refrigerate for 2 hours.  Serve with small crackers.

Borani Mast-e-Bademjan

1 eggplant, large
1 bulb garlic, large
2 1/2 cups yogurt
salt, black pepper


Preheat the oven to 400F.
Wash the eggplant well and pat dry with a paper towel.  Place it on a cookie sheet and prick it all over with a fork (This will prevent the eggplant from exploding in the oven.).
Bake the eggplant in the oven for about 15 - 20 minutes or until very tender. (To check if the eggplant is cooked, pinch the neck.  If the neck is soft, the eggplant is cooked.)  Remove from oven and let sit for 5 minutes.  Peel the eggplant so that only the pulp remains.  Mash and chop the pulp.  Put into a large bowl.
Peel the cloves of garlic, sprinkle with a 1/4 teaspoon of salt and pound it until it forms a paste.
Add the garlic and yogurt to the eggplant and mix will.  Salt and pepper to taste.

Mast-e-Khiar (Yogurt and Cucumbers)

2 medium cucumbers

4 cloves garlic, large

2 1/2 cups yogurt

1/4 cup walnuts, finely chopped

1 1/2 teaspoons powdered mint

2 tablespoons dried rose petals (red, aromatic)

salt, black pepper (season to taste)

Peel the garlic and place in mortar. Sprinkle with ⅛ teaspoon salt and pound it until it forms a paste.

Peel the cucumbers and coarsely grate into a large bowl. Add garlic, walnuts and yogurt and mix well. Add to this mixture salt and pepper to taste, the mint and 1½ tablespoons of the rose petals, which have been powdered by rubbing it between two hands, and again mix well. Keep in refrigerator until ready to serve. To decorate, sprinkle a little mint in a design over the top and scatter the remaining ½ tablespoon of rose petals in the center.

VARIATION: Use ½ cup chopped green onions in place of garlic puree.

Kaushk-e-Bademjan (Eggplant & Whey Dip)

2 eggplants

1 bulb garlic, peeled

2 tablespoons butter

1/8 cup dried mint

1 cup kaushk (dried whey)*

Peel the eggplants and slice lengthwise into 4 pieces each. Fry them on both sides until they are golden brown. Finely mince the fried eggplant and put aside.

Mash the garlic with a mortar and pestle and then sauté it in the butter with the dried mint for about 6 to 7 minutes. Lower the fire and add the minced eggplant and the kaushk. Stir it all together for about 2 to 3 minutes, then remove from the fire. Spoon it onto a small serving platter. To decorate -- add 1 tablespoon water to 1 tablespoon kaushk, mix well and pour this over the top in whatever design you wish. Sprinkle dried mint over the kaushk.

*NOTE: If you buy kaushk as a dried powder, mix it with enough water so that it has the consistency of thick cream. Let sit in the refrigerator overnight, then use.

Mast-e-Espinach (Spinach & Yogurt Dip)

1 lb. fresh spinach or 2 10 oz. boxes frozen chopped spinach

1 small onion, grated

3 tablespoons butter

2 cups plain yogurt

salt, black pepper (season to taste)

Clean the spinach by removing the leaf and discarding the stem. Wash well and drain.

Fill a large pot half-full with water. Add 2 teaspoons of salt and bring to a rolling boil.

Add the spinach and cook 10 minutes. Drain well.

Fry the grated onion in the butter. When the onion is soft and golden in color, add the spinach and let them fry together until the water completely fries out. While the spinach is frying chop it with your cooking spoon so that there are no large pieces left. You'll know that the water is gone when the spinach starts to stick to the pan.

Put the spinach and ½ cup of yogurt in a medium-size bowl. Mix well together. Then add the rest of the yogurt to the bowl and salt and pepper to taste. Mix well and refrigerate until ready to use. Serve with potato chips.