Have You Ever Made Borani The Iranian Dip?

Borani is an Iranian dip usually made with eggplant, but roasted beets are a wonderful flavor to use to make this dip.

Beet Borani

Recipe from The Modern’s Cook Year

Ingredients:

3 ¾ cups cooked beets

extra virgin olive oil

3-4 soft, pitted Medjool dates

1 clove garlic

4 Tbl Greek yogurt

1 small bunch of dill, chopped

2 Tbl red wine vinegar

2/3 cup feta cheese

1/4 cup walnuts, toasted

Directions for Roasting Beets:

Heat the oven to 400°F. Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and heat the oven to 400°F.

If the beets still have their leafy tops, cut off the tops close to the tops of the beet, leaving yourself enough to grip. Scrub the beets thoroughly, then wrap them loosely in aluminum foil. No need to dry the beets before wrapping. Small beets can be wrapped together, but it's easiest to roast large beets individually.

Place the wrapped beets on a rimmed baking sheet to catch drips in case the beet juices leak. Roast for 50 to 60 minutes. Check the beets every 20 minutes or so. If they are starting to look dry or are scorching on the bottoms, dribble a tablespoon of water over the beets before re-wrapping. Beets are done when a fork or skewer slides easily to the center of the beet. Small beets will cook more quickly than large beets.

Peel the beets. Set the beets aside until cool enough to handle. Hold one of the beets in a paper towel and use the edges of the paper to rub the skin away. The skin should peel away easily; if it doesn't, the beets likely need to cook for a little longer. Peel the remaining beets.

Directions for Borani:

In a food processor put in the beets and 4 Tbl olive oil, the dates, and a ¼ tsp salt and puree until the mixture until it is totally smooth.

Transfer to a bowl and add the garlic, yogurt, most of the dill, the vinegar, and a pinch of salt.

Sprinkle with feta, walnuts, dill and a drizzle of olive oil. Serve with flatbread or crunchy vegetables.