Creamy spinach yogurt dip that is incredibly tasty, easy and healthy. This Persian dip, borani esfenaj is topped with aromatic sizzled mint, fried onions and walnuts. A crowd pleaser for sure!
Preheat oven to 350°F. Toast walnuts on a baking sheet until golden brown, about 8 minutes (or toast in skillet). Allow to cool and chop coarsely.
In a medium bowl, combine garlic, ⅛ teaspoon salt, lemon juice and let stand for 10 minutes.
Peel, quarter and cut onion into thin slices. Remove tough stems from spinach.
In a skillet, heat 2 tablespoons oil at medium-high. Fry onions, stirring in between, until light golden brown, about 8-10 minutes. Transfer onions to a plate and set aside.
Add spinach in batches to the skillet and saute until it wilts, 5 minutes; avoid overcooking. Let cool, then squeeze out and drain excess juices. Coarsely chop and stir in ¼ teaspoon salt. (See notes for baby spinach and retaining green color)
To the garlic mixture, add yogurt, cooled spinach, half the fried onions and walnuts, pepper and stir to combine. Adjust seasoning as per taste. Using the back of a spoon, make wavy patterns on the surface.
In a small saucepan, heat remaining oil at medium. Remove from heat, add dried mint and let sizzle; season with ⅛ teaspoon salt. Drizzle the mint oil over yogurt dip. Garnish with remaining fried onions, walnuts and saffron water (if using).
Serve with flatbreads, pita chips or raw vegetables.
Notes
Blanched Baby Spinach: If using baby spinach, add it to a pot of salted boiled water and blanch for 20 seconds (adjust added salt). Transfer to ice water, steep for a minute, then drain and squeeze dry.
Frozen Spinach: I have not tried this, but you may try using half a package of frozen spinach (5 ounces). Squeeze out the juices well.
Spices: You could use turmeric instead of saffron, but add it to the mint oil.
Make Ahead: Saute the spinach or make the dip one day ahead of serving. If blanching spinach, you can do that up to three days ahead.
Storage: The dip will keep for 3-4 days in the refrigerator, but the spinach color will darken. Stir before serving. It is not freezer friendly.
For other variations, tips and serving suggestions, scroll up the page to the blog post.