Borani facts for kids
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| Course | Salad |
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| Place of origin |  Iran (Persia) |
Borani is a tasty salad or side dish. It comes from Iranian cuisine, which means it's popular in Iran. You can also find Borani in Turkish cuisine, especially in places like Isparta, Urfa, and Van.
Some types of Borani are made with healthy spinach and creamy yogurt. Long ago, in the Ancient Persian times, Borani was often made with eggplant. A special kind from Urfa uses lamb meat and vegetarian meatballs. Borani is also a favorite dish in the Caucasus region and Afghanistan.
What is Borani?
The name "Borani" was first used for an eggplant dish in Ancient Persian cooking. Today, Borani can mean different things in different places.
In the Urfa province of Turkey, Borani is a hearty dish. It includes lamb meat and bulgur kofta, which are like small meatballs made from cracked wheat. This version also has chard and chickpeas. People sometimes call it "Urfa borani" to be specific.
There's also a very common type of Borani made with spinach and yogurt. Other versions mix different ingredients with yogurt. In southern Albania, "Borani" describes a baked dish with eggs and spinach. In Gaziantep, another city in Turkey, there's a Borani without yogurt. It's made with black-eyed peas and ground lamb.
A food expert named Mehmet Zeki Oral studied old foods. He said that Borani dishes are usually made by boiling vegetables first. Then, the vegetables are cooked quickly in oil or butter. Often, they are topped with yogurt that has garlic in it. This is how Borani is made in a region called Anatolia. Sometimes, Borani can also be vegetables cooked with rice or bulgur, then topped with yogurt.
In the Pindus region of Greece, people make a Borani soup. It uses local nettles, which are plants that can sting. The soup is made thicker with flour. This dish shows the influence of the Aromanians, a group of people living in that area.
Different Kinds of Borani
There are many yummy types of Borani!
- Borani-e Esfanaj is a cool and refreshing Persian salad. It's made with spinach and yogurt. You can find similar spinach and yogurt dishes in Turkish cuisine and other Middle Eastern cuisines.
- Borani-e Khiar is an Iranian salad. It mixes yogurt with fresh cucumber and crunchy walnuts.
- In Afghanistan, the spinach and yogurt salad is known as Sabzi Boranee.
- Borani-e Bademjan is another Persian favorite. This version uses eggplant and yogurt.
See also
In Spanish: Borani para niños
