The Story
Borani is a traditional Persian appetizer, very simple in essence: a combination of yogurt and cooked vegetables, most often spinach. It is a fresh, minimal dish, served cold and eaten with bread.
In my culture, yogurt is almost never sweet, but savory. It is part of the everyday table something that accompanies, connects, and completes other flavors.
For me, this recipe is mostly a memory.
It brings me back to large family gatherings at my grandmother’s house, surrounded by aunts and cousins. The food was never decorated or “perfect”: it was simple, direct, but full of flavor. It was a quiet way of expressing love.
I remember one particular moment when I wanted to make this dish on my own, even though I didn’t cook much at the time. My mother wasn’t home, so I called my grandmother. She wasn’t very expressive with words, but she explained everything in just a few minutes: “chop the onions, fry them, add a bit of turmeric, then the spinach…”. No exact measurements, no precision. Just gestures.
In a way, this reflects how love is expressed in my family: not explained, but understood through actions. Learned over time, through repetition. Just like this recipe.
A simple dish, full of memory, from the past! :)
The Recipe
- 500 g fresh spinach (or frozen)
- 400–500 g thick Greek yogurt
- 1 medium onion
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- ½ teaspoon turmeric (optional)
- A handful of walnuts (optional)
- Wash the spinach and cook it in a pan until wilted. Let it cool, then roughly chop it.
- In a pan, sauté the chopped onion in olive oil until golden. Add the garlic and turmeric, and cook for another minute.
- Add the spinach to the onions and mix well. Let it cool completely.
- In a bowl, season the yogurt with salt and pepper.
- Add the spinach mixture to the yogurt and combine.
- If you like, add chopped walnuts.
- Serve cold, with bread.
