Borani laboo and borani esfanj are two of the most beloved Iranian yoghurt preparations, the former made with beetroot and the latter with spinach. This is my ode to them, as well as to my commitment to kitchen waste reduction, making excellent use of those gorgeous beetroot stalks and leaves you often find attached to the divisively delicious, incredibly nutritious earthy orbs and which, sadly, often find their way to the bin.
• 2tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion, very thinly sliced into half-moons
• 200g beetroot leaves and stalks, leaves roughly chopped, stalks finely chopped
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 2tsp dried mint
• 250g cooked beetroot, coarsely grated
• 375g Greek yoghurt
• ½tsp fine sea salt
• Zest and juice 1 lime
To serve (optional)
• Pistachios
• Sea salt flakes
• Mint leaves
1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat. Once hot, reduce the heat to low, add the onion and cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until golden brown. Add the beetroot stalks, garlic, and 1 tsp of the dried mint. Cook for a further 5 minutes, stirring frequently to prevent any burning. Add the beetroot leaves and cook for 3–5 minutes more or until the leaves are soft and wilted. Set aside to cool.
2. In a medium bowl, combine the grated beetroot with the yoghurt, salt, lime juice and half the lime zest. Stir to mix well. When the onion and beetroot leaf/stalk mixture is cool, add this to the bowl and stir to mix everything together, before transferring the bowl to the fridge. Chill for at least 1 hour so the flavours can come together.
3. Just before serving, sprinkle the borani with the last of the dried mint and lime zest. If you like, top it off with some pistachios and flaky sea salt, and garnish with some fresh mint leaves.
Photography by Laura Edwards (DK RED, £28).
For a teenage Anna Ansari hell-bent on a summer in Italy, being packed off to China felt like a catastrophe of epic proportions. But, as destiny would have it, the trip marked the beginning of a life-long love affair with the history, beauty and flavours of the Silk Roads, as vividly illustrated in her debut cookbook