Borani Esfanaaj + Zhoug
A cold yogurt and spinach based dip from Iran.
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Cook Time 30 minutes
Servings
people
Ingredients
Borani Esfanaaj
  • 1 cup walnuts
  • 8 ounces baby spinach about 10 cups
  • 6 tablespoons olive oil divided
  • 1 small onion finely chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic thinly sliced
  • salt to taste
  • 2 tablespoons mint chopped
  • 3 cups unsweetened plain greek yogurt whole-milk
  • 1 lemon juiced, about 1 tablespoon
  • black pepper
Zhoug
  • 2 cloves garlic roughly chopped
  • 1 cup cilantro about 2 bunches, mostly leaves but skinny stems are ok
  • 1 jalapeno seeds removed but reserved
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • 3/4 teaspoon cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes more to taste
  • 3/4 cup olive oil extra virgin
Cook Time 30 minutes
Servings
people
Ingredients
Borani Esfanaaj
  • 1 cup walnuts
  • 8 ounces baby spinach about 10 cups
  • 6 tablespoons olive oil divided
  • 1 small onion finely chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic thinly sliced
  • salt to taste
  • 2 tablespoons mint chopped
  • 3 cups unsweetened plain greek yogurt whole-milk
  • 1 lemon juiced, about 1 tablespoon
  • black pepper
Zhoug
  • 2 cloves garlic roughly chopped
  • 1 cup cilantro about 2 bunches, mostly leaves but skinny stems are ok
  • 1 jalapeno seeds removed but reserved
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • 3/4 teaspoon cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes more to taste
  • 3/4 cup olive oil extra virgin
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Instructions
Borani Esfanaaj
  1. Preheat oven to 350°. Toast walnuts on a baking sheet, tossing once, until golden brown, 6–8 minutes. Let cool and roughly chop.
  2. Place a skillet over medium heat and add ½ cup water. As soon as you see bubbles, add one-third of the spinach and cook, stirring occasionally, until most of the spinach is wilted, then add more. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until all the spinach is in the pan and wilted, 6–8 minutes. Transfer spinach to a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking and lock in its bright green color. Drain and squeeze out excess liquid. Finely chop spinach and set aside.
  3. Wipe out skillet and heat 2 Tbsp. oil over medium. Cook onion, stirring occasionally, until soft but without taking on any color, 6–8 minutes. Add garlic and a pinch of salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until garlic is softened, 2–3 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl.
  4. Combine yogurt, lemon juice, onion mixture, half of the walnuts, and reserved spinach in a medium bowl. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Scrape into a shallow serving bowl and use the back of a spoon to carve a few swirls into the dip. Top with remaining walnuts and mint.
Zhoug
  1. Place the garlic in your food processor and process until the garlic is broken into tiny pieces.
  2. Add the cilantro, jalapeño (keep the seeds in case you want to make the sauce more spicy after tasting), salt, cumin and red pepper flakes. Process until the mixture is all mixed together and very finely chopped.
  3. While running the food processor, slowly drizzle in the olive oil. Scrape down the sides and blend until the sauce is mostly smooth.
  4. Adjust to taste—for a spicier sauce, add the jalapeño seeds or additional red pepper flakes (1/4 teaspoon at a time) and blend again. Too bitter? You can add more salt or give the flavors some time to mellow. This sauce’s flavor transforms with time, so if it’s too spicy or you just don’t love it right off the bat, let it chill in the fridge and try it again in an hour. You can also use half parsley if the cilantro is a bit overwhelming.
Recipe Notes

Recipe by Olivia Meyers of the Lowcountry Street Grocery.