Borani Esfanaj, Middle Eastern Spinach and Yogurt

Borani esfanaj —  Irani for spinach and yogurt — is a traditional dish enjoyed all over the Mediterranean and the Middle East — Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Greece, Iran, Syria, Turkey, I could keep going. And so can the variations.  Regions change up the herbs and the proportions. Some serve it as an appetizer, others as a dip, a salad or even a  chilled soup.

In every iteration, borani esfanaj is a luscious summer refresher.  The one — well, really two — constants — are spinach and yogurt.  Agh, the yogurt. For years, that meant it was far from veganfriendly, but now, thanks to quality commercial plantbased yogurt, it’s a dish we can all enjoy. Even royalty.

According to legend, once upon a time, there was an Irani princess who was wise, kind, beautiful, all the things you want in a princess. The entire kingdom adored her, and vied for .  So all the chefs decided to do a sort of Iron Chef competition, and create dishes that would delight her. The chefs were all very proud of their creations, some, naturally, quite elaborate — you want to impress a princess. She tasted them all and praised them all.  But her favorite was this spinach and yogurt dish. Like I said, smart princess. 

Borani esfanaj is creamy, herbacious, cool, and green, and incredibly good for you, besides.  The spinach offers iron, sure, but also off-the-charts amounts of folate, vitamins A and K. The plantbased yogurt offers probiotic body support by way of fermentation.  It’s also good for the planet. It calls for herb stems — you know, the bits you usually throw out. You get more flavor, the planet gets less waste.

How to make:

1. Line a strainer with cheesecloth and set strainer over a bowl.  
2. Pour plantbased yogurt into the strainer. and allow excess liquid to drain — at least 1 hour.
3. Place spinach leaves in a large colander. Pour a kettle of boiling water over the spinach to blanch. Spinach will reduce to a third its original size. Set aside to drain and cool.
4. In a medium skillet, heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Add the chopped onion and garlic, and sauté until vegetables are softened, translucent and fragrant, 8 to 10 minutes.  Set aside.
5. Squeeze out all the water in the spinach. 
6. Place spinach in a food processor, and pulse a few times, until coarsely chopped.  
7. Add parsley and mint stems, plus the sautéed onions and garlic, and pulse again.  
8. Spoon in the yogurt and process lightly, so there’s still bright flecks of green.
9. Season with sea salt.  
10. Cover and chill for at least an hour to let flavors deepen and meld.
11. Garnish with pomegranate seeds, chopped pistachios, mint and parsley leaves, if desired.Serve with pita or other flatbread and seasonal vegetables.

Tips, Substitutions, and Serving Suggestions

• This recipe calls for blanching the spinach — plunging the greens into boiling water to keep the color bright and the nutrients intact.  I’ve shown a quicker, tidier way to do it, by placing greens in a colander and pouring boiling water over them.
• This quick and creamy dip uses the stems from herbs— the bits you usually throw away — for zero waste and big flavor.  
• I love the fresh hint of mint here, but dil is often used instead. Try it both ways.
• Serve as starter, with flatbread and fresh vegetables, like sliced cucumber, carrots, radish and fennel and celery.
• Serve as a salad dolloped over more spinach or other fresh, tender greens.  
• Not into spinach?  Another Irani version uses thinly sliced cucumber. instead of spinach.
• Cucumber, yogurt and garlic make up tzatziki, the refreshing Greek sauce.
• Add more yogurt and serve as a chilled soup

Borani Esfanaj —Middle Eastern Spinach and Yogurt

Borani esfanaj — Irani for spinach and yogurt — is a traditional dish enjoyed all over the Mediterranean and the Middle East — Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Greece, Iran, Syria, Turkey. Enjoy as an appetizer, a dip, a salad or even a chilled soup. It’s a dish fit for royalty — and for all of us.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Ingredients

  

• 2 cups plain unsweetened plain plantbased yogurt preferably full fat — I like Kite Hill
• 1 pound spinach
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large onion chopped (about 2 cups)
• 3 cloves garlic chopped (about 1 tablespoon)
• 1/2 bunch of parsley — just the stems 1/2 cup
• 1/2 bunch mint — just the stems 1/2 cup
• sea salt

optional garnish:

• pomegranate seeds
• pistachios

Instructions

 

• Line a strainer with cheesecloth and set strainer over a bowl.
• Pour plantbased yogurt into the strainer. and allow excess liquid to drain — at least 1 hour
• Place spinach leaves in a large colander. Pour a kettle of boiling water over the spinach to blanch. Spinach will reduce to a third its original size. Set aside to drain and cool.
• In a medium skillet, heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Add the chopped onion and garlic, and sauté until vegetables are softened, translucent and fragrant, 8 to 10 minutes. Set aside
• Squeeze out all the water in the spinach.
• Place spinach in a food processor, and pulse a few times, until coarsely chopped.
• Add parsley and mint stems, plus the sautéed onions and garlic, and pulse again.
• Spoon in the yogurt and process lightly, so there’s still bright flecks of green.
• Season with sea salt.
• Cover and chill for at least an hour to let flavors deepen and meld.
• Garnish with pomegranate seeds, chopped pistachios, mint and parsley leaves, if desired.
• Serve with pita or other flatbread and seasonal vegetables.

More Global Dips and Apps

• Minty spring pea purée from my award-winning book, Feeding the Hungry Ghost: Life, Faith and What to Eat for Dinner, Try the dip, buy the book.
• Pumpkin Talkari, Caribbean curried pumpkin dip
• Nduja, the vegan version of the Calabrian classic with umami from tomato, not pork
• Hari chutney, mint and chile brighten this chutney that’s great on everything, courtesy of Crackerman, my friend Setfan Uch.  
• Pesto di Trapani isn’t green — it’s a rich tomatoey-almondy concoction I learned about from fellow kitchen waste avenger, Eugenia Bone, well, actually her father. 
• Green goodness, an all-time favorite combo of beans, greens, garlic, lemon, and olive oil.
• Or keep the beans and greens separate, as they do in this dish from Puglia

Thank you for reading my vegan stories and plant-based recipes. I sincerely love to connect with listeners and would like to hear your feedback, takeaways, “ah-ha!” moments, etc in the comments.

Connect with me for discounts, exclusive tips, and other freebies:
• Join my NEWSLETTER for exclusive content & offers
• Join my social networks on LINKEDIN, TWITTER and FACEBOOK

Want to learn more?
Explore more of my VEGAN RECIPES, and my COOK BOOKS.
Do you want a happier life, a greener plate, and a delicious world? Then sign up for VEG THERAPY.