Persian Inspired Salad with Sweet Potato and Spinach

Persian Inspired Salad

A friend introduced me to an amazing Persian cookbook titled "Food for Life" by  Najmieh Batmanglij.  After glancing through the recipes and delicious looking pictures, I started craving flavors such as spearmint, rose water, dates, raisins, pistachios, saffron, and turmeric.  Combining a myriad of these flavors can give any dish an exotic twist.

After being influenced by Najmieh Batmanglij's recipes, I created my own Persian inspired salad.

Ingredients for Persian Inspired Salad with Sweet Potato and Spinach:

2 cups spinach

1 sweet potato, sliced
1 cup garbanzo beans

1/4 cup dill

1/4 cup parsley

3 tablespoons spearmint,

1 onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, diced

1 tablespoon butter or ghee

1 tablespoon olive oil

4 garlic stems, chopped

1 tablespoon rose water
1tablespoon lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon of turmeric

1 pinch of saffron

Salt to taste

Red Pepper Flakes to taste

Yogurt

Pine Nuts

Directions:


1.  Microwave sweet potato until soft.  Run cold water over potato, while peeling skin off.  Set aside.
2.  In a skillet, brown the onions and garlic in butter or ghee.  Then add sweet potato, garbanzo beans, rose water, hot pepper flakes, turmeric, saffron and salt.  
3.  Let mixture cool then add dill, spearmint, parsley, garlic stems and spinach.
5.  Dress with some lemon juice and olive oil.

5.  Garnish with a dollup of yogurt and pine nuts.