Spinach Yogurt Dip Persian Style (Borani Esfenaj)

Borani Esfenaj is a classic Persian spinach yogurt dip that's usually served with bread. With a lot of spinach and garlic, this delicious dip is something you don't want to miss!

Middle Eastern and Mediterranean dips and spreads are perfect for parties because of their flavor. I love Persian cucumber yogurt dip Mast-o-Khiar, hummus and baba ganoush for a nice side dish or appetizer. Today I'm sharing one of my all time favorite recipes with you. This delicious healthy yogurt dip is one you'll love and want to have all the time!

What is Borani?

Borani is a Persian style dip that's made of yogurt and vegetables. It's smooth, flavorful, healthy and versatile. Borani can be made with eggplants, beetroots, zucchinis, spinach and many other vegetables.The borani we are doing today calls for a lot of spinach and some garlic and is packed with flavor, just like our spinach artichoke dip. It's very simple and easy to make and it's a great addition to your dinner table or your appetizer platter. 

As you might have guessed, in Farsi, spinach is called esfenaj which is what our recipe today is calling for. This Greek yogurt spinach dip is an all time favorite of ours and is the perfect way to have your family eat some vegetables. What I love the most about this recipe is that it's very simple to put it together and it's very healthy as spinach is a great source of iron and yogurt is one of the best sources of probiotics.

Ingredients

Spinach - Baby spinach works best for this recipe because of its texture. However, if baby spinach is not available, you can use regular spinach, simply chop it into smaller pieces.

Garlic - The more the merrier! Don't skip the garlic in this recipe. The amount of garlic I've used would add a nice flavor to this dip but if you like it super garlicky, definitely add more.

Yogurt - Whole milk yogurt is perfect to make dips since it's creamy and has a lot of flavor. I've tested this recipe with low-fat and no-fat yogurts and those work as well, however, my preference is whole milk, as it is with cacik and tzatziki as well.

Salt and pepper - You only need salt and pepper to season this dip since the focus of flavor is on spinach and garlic.

Instructions

Cook the spinach

Place a pan over medium heat and add the spinach. You don't need any oil. Slowly start stirring so the spinach starts wilting and releasing its liquid. Add in minced garlic (the more the merrier) and stir over medium low heat until excess water is evaporated.

Make the dip

Turn the heat off and let the mixture cool. Mix it the Greek yogurt and season with salt and pepper to your tasting.

Pro-tip: 
Traditional yogurt and spinach dip is made with yogurt, cooked spinach and garlic. However, I sometimes add caramelized onion to the dip and it takes it to a whole new level. The caramelized onion gives a delicious subtle sweetness to the dip and compliments the yogurt very well. 

Serving suggestions

Serve this spinach yogurt dip as part of an appetizer spread with Kashke Bademjan (Persian Eggplant Dip) and some fresh bread such as barbari, lavash, pita or naan. If you're craving something crispy, whole wheat crackers or pita chips would work best.

Frequently asked questions

Notes and tips to make borani esfenaj:

• 6 cups of spinach might seem a lot but spinach wilts as it cooks so be generous with spinach.
• Get the firmest yogurt you can find. Runny yogurt is not suitable for this dip. A combination of half sour cream and half Greek yogurt would work great, too.
• It's important to use freshly minced garlic in this spinach yogurt dip as it gives way more flavor than garlic powder or pre-minced garlic. 
• About the spinach stems, it's up to you to remove them or not. If using baby spinach, I usually don't remove them because they're very tender and have a lot of flavor. 

Step-by-Step Recipe

Borani Esfenaj - Persian Spinach and Yogurt Dip

Shadi HasanzadeNemati

Borani Esfenaj is a classic Persian spinach yogurt dip that's usually served with bread. With a lot of spinach and garlic, this delicious dip is something you don't want to miss!

5 from 10 votes

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Prep Time 3 mins

Cook Time 2 mins

Total Time 5 mins

Course Appetizer

Cuisine Persian

Servings 4 servings

Calories 86 kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• ▢ 6 cup Baby Spinach
• ▢ 2 cloves Garlic Minced
• ▢ 2 ½ cups Plain Greek Yogurt
• ▢ Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

 

• Heat a pan on medium heat. (No oil needed)
• Place baby spinach in the pan, lower the heat and wait so that the spinach starts wilting. 
• Once the spinach is wilted, add in mined garlic and stir. Cook for 5 minutes over medium heat or until the excess water is evaporated. 
• Mix the yogurt, spinach and garlic in a bowl.
• Add salt and pepper to taste.
• Serve with toasted Iranian bread, naan, toasted bread or pita chips.

Video

Notes

• 6 cups of spinach might seem a lot but spinach wilts as it cooks so be generous with spinach.
• Get the firmest yogurt you can find. Runny yogurt is not suitable for this dip. A combination of half sour cream and half Greek yogurt would work great, too.
• It's important to use freshly minced garlic in this spinach yogurt dip as it gives way more flavor than garlic powder or pre-minced garlic. 
• About the spinach stems, it's up to you to remove them or not. If using baby spinach, I usually don't remove them because they're very tender and have a lot of flavor. 

Nutrition

Calories: 86kcalCarbohydrates: 7gProtein: 14gFat: 1gSaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 6mgSodium: 81mgPotassium: 427mgFiber: 1gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 4220IUVitamin C: 13mgCalcium: 185mgIron: 1mg

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