Borani Esfenaj

Name: Borani Esfenaj
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Persian
Ingredients: 500 g fresh spinach, washed and roughly chopped; 500 g thick plain yogurt; 1 onion, finely chopped; 2 cloves garlic, grated; 2 tbsp olive or neutral oil; ½ tsp salt; 2 tbsp chopped walnuts, to garnish (optional)

Spinach and yogurt dip with garlic · بورانی اسفناج

10 min Prep
15 min Cook
4 Servings
Easy

Wilted spinach and golden onion folded into thick, garlicky yogurt. A quick, creamy side for rice dishes and kabobs.

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Borani Esfenaj — Photo: MRG90, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons (cropped, colour-adjusted)

Borani is a family of yogurt dishes said to be named after Poorandokht, a Sasanian queen who loved them. Spinach borani is the most common, made in minutes and served cold.

The key is to squeeze the cooked spinach dry so the yogurt stays thick.

Ingredients

Servings 4

500 g fresh spinach, washed and roughly chopped (1.1 lb)
500 g thick plain yogurt (1.1 lb)
1 onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, grated
2 tbsp olive or neutral oil
½ tsp salt
2 tbsp chopped walnuts, to garnish (optional)

Instructions

Fry the onion in the oil until golden. Add the spinach and cook, stirring, for 3 to 4 minutes until fully wilted.
Tip into a sieve, cool slightly, and squeeze out as much liquid as you can.
Chop the spinach finely and stir it into the yogurt with the garlic and salt.
Chill for 30 minutes and serve garnished with walnuts.

Tips & variations

Frozen spinach works: thaw it, squeeze it dry, and fry it briefly with the onion.

Where to buy the ingredients

Persian grocers carry the saffron, dried herbs, spices and long-grain rice that Persian cooking depends on:

Ingredients

Instructions

Tips & variations

Where to buy the ingredients

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