Burani Kado is an Afghani and peri dish made of roasted butternut squash / pumpkin with yogurt

The only thing better than a good recipe? When it’s so easy to make something that you don’t even need one. you welcome in SimplyA column in which we talk to you during the making of dishes and drinks that we can make with our eyes closed.

My younger sister recently reminded me of our paternal grandmother, whom we called Mader (Mother in Dari), she keeps a specific magazine filled with some of her own yogurt-based recipes, ranging from mint-scented cucumber raita to pumpkin purani.

Purani is a cold dish consisting of roasted or sauteed vegetables paired with thick creamy yogurt, often garnished with spices, nuts, fried onions, fresh herbs and olive oil. Cooked and loved in Afghanistan and Iran, Borani can be served as an appetizer with bread or biscuits, as a side dish, or alone for a snack. According to legend (and what I heard in my family growing up), the dish It gets its name From the Sasanian Empress Būrāndo lovedt, who loved cold yogurt dishes so much, it is named after her as Brān. To this day, Afghans and Persians are fond of dishes that feature yogurt, and Madhuri is proof of that. Sadly, I don’t have handwritten recipes, neither Raita nor Burani, but I remember how much she fell in love with it.

Some of my favorite types of prani are the Bademjan Purani, made with fried eggplant slices and served with a spiced tomato sauce over yogurt, and Purani EsfangMade with sauteed spinach with garlic and tossed in yogurt.

However, in the colder months, I like to prepare Purani Kadu (kadoo Meaning “gourd” or “squash” in the Dari language) with butternut gourd. While squash or butternut squash is traditionally cooked in a refreshing tomato sauce for this type of Purani, I find the butternut squash speaks for itself and does not require sauce. Its tender sweetness versus cold garlic yogurt and pomegranate crunch makes for a great meal on its own or served alongside grilled meat. I also like adding hazelnuts instead of adding the classic nut. And while the Purani is traditionally made by mixing vegetables and yogurt together, I follow my mother’s tradition of leaving the two apart when I cook them – it’s just a matter of design and presentation and you can do whichever you prefer.