Turkish cuisine · Vegetable Dishes

Borani

Spinach braised with chickpeas and rice and topped with garlic yogurt – a dish of Ottoman origin.

Ingredients · for 4 servings

• 800 g spinach
• 250 g chickpeas (cooked)
• 100 g rice
• 1 onion
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 400 g yogurt
• 3 garlic cloves
• 20 g butter
• 1 tsp Aleppo pepper
• 300 ml water
• Salt, pepper

Instructions

1. Wash the spinach thoroughly, roughly chop and drain; finely dice the onion, rinse the rice in cold water until it runs clear, and drain the chickpeas.
2. Heat the olive oil in a wide pot and sauté the onion over medium heat for 5 min. until translucent; add the rice and fry for 2 min. while stirring, until the grains glisten.
3. Pour in the water, salt it, and let swell covered over low heat for 12 min. until the rice is nearly done.
4. Fold in the spinach in batches – it wilts immediately –, add the chickpeas and braise uncovered for another 8–10 min. until barely any liquid remains in the pot; season with salt and pepper and let cool to lukewarm.
5. Crush the garlic with a pinch of salt into a paste and stir into the yogurt; melt the butter, let the Aleppo pepper infuse for 30 sec. until it turns bright red.
6. Transfer the spinach to a flat platter, spread the garlic yogurt over it, drizzle with the red butter, and serve lukewarm.