WEEK 39: YOUR BEST SPINACH RECIPE
Yogurt and Spinach Dip “Borani Esfanaaj,”
in the Persian Manner
Photography by Sarah Shatz
BY SHAYMA | SERVES 2 TO 4
A&M: Don’t let a little blanching stop you from making this wonderful dip. While it’s true that blanching spinach is a pain in the neck, once the water comes to a boil, the whole process is over in a minute, and then you’re well on your way to culinary goodness. Shayma smartly heats the blanched and chopped spinach in a little garlic-scented oil and then adds more fresh garlic to the creamy, tangy dip. We love Shayma’s backstory, too: “It has been said that Poorandokht, the daughter of the Sassanian Persian King Khosrow Paravaiz, loved cold yogurt-based dishes. When she was proclaimed Queen, the name Poorani was given to yogurt-based dishes. Later on Poorani turned into Borani. I so do like to believe this story.”
Two 6-ounce packets baby or regular spinach
1 garlic clove, minced and divided
2 tablespoons olive oil (not extra virgin)
Salt
Two 5.3-ounce tubs very thick, drained yogurt (I use Total Fage Greek yogurt)
Dried mint (please do use dried not fresh mint; the beauty of this dish is in the use of a woodsy, earthy, dried herb)
1 handful crushed walnuts
Your best extra virgin olive oil
Lavash or whole wheat pita bread, for serving
- Blanch the spinach briefly in a pot of boiling water.
- Drain well, making sure to get all the liquid out. Chop fine.
- Sauté half the minced garlic in the 2 tablespoons olive oil. Add the spinach and a pinch of salt. Stir for a few minutes.
- Set the spinach aside to cool, then squeeze out any excess liquid.
- In a bowl, gently stir together the yogurt, the remaining garlic, and the spinach. Add salt to taste.
- Transfer to the serving bowl (I use a shallow, round bowl) and sprinkle with dried mint, the crushed walnuts, and a lazy trail of your best olive oil.
- Serve with lavash or whole wheat pita.
Photography by Sarah Shatz
TIPS AND TECHNIQUES
Don’t worry about squeezing the spinach in Step 4, unless it looks particularly soppy. Do use whole-milk Greek yogurt—the low-fat stuff will be watery and joyless. Use a wide, shallow dish so you have room to spread out the dip, making a broad landing pad for the oil, mint, and walnuts. And reach for your best olive oil for sprinkling over the top.
Shayma said: “This creamy appetizer is lovely with some lavash (flatbread from Iran) or some crisped-up-in-the-oven whole wheat pita bread. The combination of spinach, garlic, thick and creamy yogurt, walnuts, and mint begs for a Pinot Gris from Alsace.”
ABOUT THE COOK
Shayma Owaise Saadat is an economist living in Toronto, Canada. She writes about the foods of “Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran and beyond” on her blog (see below).
Her favorite recipe from a cookbook: “I can’t say that I have a favorite recipe, but my favorite cookbook is Claudia Roden’s The New Book of Middle Eastern Food. It is my go-to book for entertaining—everything from kibbeh to batoursh to ma’moul.”
Her favorite cooking tip: “Always soak your basmati rice for at least an hour to ensure—in the words of the women in my family—that ‘each cooked grain is like the eyelashes of a young girl: elongated, separated, curved, and slender.’”
Her favorite entertaining tip: “In the words of Ami, my mother, ‘For a dinner party, always cook for double the amount of people you have invited; this will make your neighbors happy the following day.’”
Here’s her blog: The Spice Spoon (www.thespicespoon.com).
WHAT THE COMMUNITY SAID
arielleclementine: “We had this last night and all agreed it was the best spinach dip we’d ever had.
I love, loved it! Thank you so much for sharing the recipe. I’ll make it for years to come.”