You might have noticed another commonly used ingredient in Persian cooking: Yogurt. Plain that is! Persians love their yogurt and always have it in their fridge. They have yogurt with just about anything. They have it as a meal, as a condiment, as a side dish, in a soup, salad dressing, or even dessert! Plain white rice and yogurt is an all-time favorite in our household. I have a cousin who eats his spaghetti with plain yogurt and I must say it's not bad at all. I have tried it myself and even give it to my kids. I got my kids used to eating plain yogurt very early on and there's not a day that I won't send my son to school without a yogurt in his lunchbox. Yogurt is so good for you... I am no doctor, but I'm sure you know the benefits of it.
On that note - you guessed right - I'll be telling you about yet another yogurt dish that is very common in my culture. Again, this dish will be a light great lunch on warm days or you can serve it as an appetizer (as my mother used to do) with potato chips. You will love it!
Spinach Yogurt
Ingredients:
1-10 oz frozen chopped spinach (or fresh if you like)
½ teaspoon vegetable oil
1-32 oz tub of plain yogurt
½ teaspoon of sea salt
¼ teaspoon fresh ground pepper
2 teaspoon fresh squeezed lemon juice
Unpack the frozen spinach and place in a small pan on low heat until it’s completely thawed out and all the water is evaporated. Add the oil and lightly sauté on low heat for about 7 minutes. Set aside in a bowl until it is cool. Then add yogurt, sea salt, pepper and lemon juice. Mix well, chill in fridge and serve cold.
Spinach Yogurt
Note: In Farsi yogurt means "Maast" or "Must."
