BORANI REYHAN

Step 1

Remove the stems from fresh basil. Add whole leaves to a bowl of cold water and change the water couple of times. Drain in a colander and set aside.

Step 2

Clean the scallions, slice to about ¼ inch. Place in a medium bowl and fill with cold water. Change the water a few times to get rid of any possible grit trapped in the scallions. Drain completely in a colander and set aside.

Step 3

Wash the baby spinach in plenty of cold water to get rid of any grit. Drain in a colander. Chop roughly and set aside.

Step 4

Dice the Roma tomatoes to medium size cubes and set aside.

Step 5

In a large nonstick skillet fry the sliced onions until golden brown. Add 1 tablespoon tomato paste to the skillet and saute over low heat for couple of minutes, until aromatic.

Step 6

Add the sliced scallions and chopped baby spinach to the skillet; stir and saute for 2-3 minutes over medium high heat until wilted. Stirring over high heat prevents the spinach from releasing too much moisture.

Step 7

Add the diced tomatoes. Add the whole cinnamon basil leaves to the skillet. Add kosher salt and ground peppers. Stir briefly, cover the skillet and simmer over the setting between low and medium low for about 20 minutes. Stir several times. After 20 minutes or so, the tomatoes should be very soft and tender and the liquid will be reduced to a thick sauce that barely covers the bottom of the skillet.

Step 8

In a medium bowl briefly beat the eggs with a fork. Stir in the yogurt and an optional pinch of saffron. Mix to blend.

Step 9

Gently pour the yogurt mixture on top of the tomato mixture. Cover the skillet and cook over medium low heat for 5-7 minutes until the eggs are cooked into the sauce. Use a spatula to move the mixture around to prevent sticking to the bottom of the skillet, but leave the yogurt mixture on top intact and let it cook in large pieces.

Step 10

Borani Reyhan tastes wonderful with lavash, sangak (both are Persian flat breads), Indian naan, or pita bread. Some suggested sides are sabzi khordan (fresh herbs), Salad Shirazi, and fresh sweet or hot peppers.