Lisa's Persian Eggplant Dip

Ingredients:
3 eggplants, skin removed and diced
1 onion, chopped
6 garlic cloves, chopped
1 tbsp tomato paste
1 pinch of saffron
1/2 cup of khask (if you don't have khask, you can use sour cream)
5 tbsp of olive oil
Salt & pepper
1 clove of garlic, minced
1 tsp of dried mint

Directions:
1. Peal eggplants, dice, and place in a bowl.
2.Sprinkle a generous amount of salt, add water to cover the eggplants, and give it a mix with your hand so that the salt is diluted. Make sure that you do this step because what you are doing right now is removing the eggplant’s bitterness.
3. Since eggplant is buoyant, place a dish on top of it and put something heavy to hold it down. I put a glass on mine and it worked out great.
4. In the mean time saute the onion and garlic for the dish with 2 tbsp of oil on medium heat.
5. Once the eggplant is ready, rinse it and place in a colander to drain water
6. Once the onion has turned into a golden color add 2 tbsp of oil and the eggplants to it.
7. Fry the eggplant until it turns brownish. This should take about 20-30 minutes.
8. Then add 1 cup of water, tomato paste, cover, and let cook for about 30 minutes. At this point season with salt and pepper. Add saffron
9. Use a hand blender to mash the eggplants. Keep chunks though.
10. Taste to adjust seasoning and then add Kashk (or sour cream) and mix.
11. Mix in dried mint.
ENJOY!

Serve with flat bread.