Puran, or more correctly, Purandokht, was the daughter of King Khosro II
of Persia (590–628). She was one of only two women on the throne of the Sassanid dynasty (the other was her sister and successor Azarmidokht).
She was the twenty-sixth Sassanid monarch of Persia, reigning from
629 to 632. When Purandokht ascended to the throne after the murder of the general Shahrbaraz, who killed her nephew Ardashir III, she attempted to bring stability to the empire. This stability was brought about by a peace treaty with the Byzantine Empire, the revitalization of the empire through the implementation of justice, reconstruction of the infrastructure, lowering of taxes, and ‘minting coins’.
She was largely unsuccessful in her attempts to restore the power of the central authority which was weakened considerably by civil wars, and was murdered or died of natural causes soon after. Ferdowsi refers to Puran in his epic poem, the Shahnameh. She was committed to reviving the memory and prestige of her father, during whose reign the Sassanid Empire had grown to its largest territorial extent.
It is said… that Queen Puran was fond of yogurt, and her chef made her many dishes with drained yogurt and vegetables. These dishes were called Pourani after her, and in time Pourani came to be pronounced as Borani. There are many kinds of Borani in Persian cuisine, such as bademjan (eggplant), esfenaj (spinach), kadu (zucchini), karafs (celery), and labu (red beet). This post focuses on how to make spinach Borani.
Yogurt with Spinach • Borani’e Esfenaj • برانی اسفناج
Recipe by: Fae’s Twist & Tango (fae-magazine.com)
• 230 g/ 8oz spinach
• 1 Tbsp vegetable oil
• 80 g/ 3 oz / ¼ medium onion, thinly sliced and caramelized
• 1 small clove garlic, crushed and mashed
• 2 cups plain yogurt, thicker brand is better
• smidgen turmeric (optional)
• ground black pepper
◊ In a medium-size pot, bring 4 cups of water to a boil. First add dash of salt and then add spinach. As soon as the spinach wilts (less than a minute), drain it in a colander. Let the spinach sit for a while to drain well.
◊ In a non-stick skillet, on medium heat, add 1 Tbsp oil. Add cut onion and caramelize. Quickly spoon out a teaspoonful of it for garnish and set aside.
◊ Add mashed garlic to caramelized onion in the skillet, stir a little, add drained spinach, turmeric and sauté for one minute. Put spinach mixture in a heat-safe, small serving bowl and set to chill completely in the refrigerator .
◊ When spinach has chilled, add yogurt, salt & pepper to taste and mix. Garnish with a teaspoonful of caramelized onion that was set aside, and refrigerate until ready to use.
~ Noushe jan • نوش جان ~
Plastic microwave steamer is perfect for boiled spinach to drain in.
So, what’s cooking in your kitchen?