Another Maltese dip you’ll be making for any excuse! This ġbejna dip is made from traditional Maltese cheese which can be enjoyed with bread or with galletti and veggies.
In Malta, we are big fans of dips. For every occasion you will find dips being placed in the middle of the table with galletti, breads or cut veggies to be enjoyed as a nibble. There are plenty of classic favourites such as bigilla, arjoli, tuna dip, garlic dip and cheese dip. The latter is normally made out of blue cheese. Recently, when I was preparing for my son’s birthday party I encountered a dip made from Maltese cheese ġbejna. I knew I had to make this myself whenever I had the opportunity. Thus, here we are now! I tried to create my own version of this dip and it turned out amazing!
Ingredient list
Making the dip is relatively easy and fast. All you need is to place all the ingredients in a food processor or blender. Mix it until you get a creamy and smooth texture, or else stop mixing slightly before, if you want a chunkier dip. Let’s break down the ingredients.
Ġbejna Cheese – the better quality it is, the better the dip tastes! I have used dried peppered cheese for my cheese, however it could work also with fresh cheese. Although, if made with fresh cheese, I would recommend not to use as much cream cheese.
Cream Cheese – is what helps the ġbejna cheese break down and makes the dip creamy.
Olive oil – any good tasting olive oil will give the richness this creamy dip is missing.
Garlic – fresh all the way!
Salt and pepper – this is all up to you and the cheese you use! An important tip, taste well before adding any salt and add it gently!
Peppered cheese or no?
Ġbejna cheese are traditionally found soft or hard (dried) and plain or flavoured (most popular peppered). For this recipe, I have used the dried peppered ġbejna as this gave the dip an immediate rich taste, just the way I wanted it. However, you can also use plain dried ġbejniet. For this dip, you can either leave it plain as is or else use it as a canvas and colour it with any flavour that you like! You can also use other types and flavours of ġbejniet. What I would recommend when using these other types of flavour is to be careful and to add the cheese gradually, while tasting frequently.
In addition, you can also make the dip out of fresh soft ġbejniet. However, I would say that you will be needing less cream cheese for the dip when using fresh ġbejniet as the cheese is already quite creamy on its own.
Storing the dip
If you have any leftover dip, store it an airtight container for not more than 5 days. Other ways to use this dip is in sandwiches and wraps, as a salad dressing, in healthy bowls or even with pasta.
Ġbejna Dip
Ingredients
- 250 g peppered ġbejna dried
- 200 g cream cheese
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley chopped
- 1 garlic clove minced
- Extra parsley + cracked pepper
Instructions
- Place all the ingredients, except the parsley, into a blender or mixer and let it blend for a few minutes until the mixture is nice and smooth.
- Mix in the chopped parsley by hand once ready.
- Store in the fridge until ready to use. Serve the dip in a bowl, drizzle with some olive oil and sprinkle some black pepper and parsley on top. Serve with galletti or any fresh cut veggies.
If you have any questions, feedback or comments on this recipe, please leave a comment below. Please also rate this recipe by double clicking on the stars below. If you did make this recipe, tag @apronandwhisk and hashtag #apronandwhisk, as I’m curious to see what you create!
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