Bolani

The most addictive thing to come out of Afghanistan since opium. Bolani means "filled bread" in Farsi and what it actually is is a very thin flat-bread that has various vegetable mixtures in them. The bread is baked in a traditional (tandoori) clay oven. Also spelled "boulanee".

You can find it at the Farmer's Market, where it is sold by East & West Gourmet Food from Concord, CA.

At the Farmer's Market, bolanis come two in a package which costs $5 per. It seems expensive, but half of that will fill you up. It's touted as "low carb" because of the minimal use of wheat. It will last on average about 10 days in the fridge. The various dips and sauces price at $5 a piece and can last anywhere from 2 weeks to 2 months depending on the sauce/pesto. The Garlic-Mint-Cheese, the Sweet-Spicy Jalapeño, and the Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto are the most popular flavors.

There are four different types of bolani: Spinach is the most popular, and then there is the Pumpkin, Potato, and Green Lentil. The ingredients for the spinach bolani are: flour, spinach, green onion, canola oil, cilantro, salt, and spices, and this has 13 grams of carb per bolani. The people that sell the food are very generous with offering samples.

Comments:

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2005-10-23 23:02:12   This Page is currently better than That Page. Hooray! Add photos! —ArlenAbraham

2005-10-23 23:08:49   i told u ppl. i didn't put down all the information at first because i was still eating it —ApolloStumpy

2005-10-24 07:36:02   Unless I'm mistaken, I thought I saw a second place selling them at a recent Farmer's Market. I'll take note next time. —SteveDavison

2005-10-24 21:48:49   My roommate and I bought some and put it in the fridge. It was much less delicious. Eat it fresh. —JenniferEllis

2005-12-24 16:54:09   If you don't like it cold, I would recommend toasting it in an oven, or saute'ing it (using butter, margarine, canola oil, etc.) or even grilling it. Microwaving doesn't come out very well. —BigtimeNerd

2005-12-24 20:51:03   They are definitely tasty, but as far as half that filling you up, well I just had a whole and then had a bowl of ravioli so I wouldn't be hungry. A nice appetizer though. —SteveDavison

2006-04-19 18:18:12   The dude that sells bolani and dips is awesome. I was waiting for a friend and he kept handing me sample after sample! The spinach bolani is really good. Get some! —IasriIsrin

2006-04-24 11:19:15   I tried the spinach bolani with the sun dried tomato dip and it was okay. Nothing special. It was also expensive for the amount you get and it did not fill me up. I liked it enough that I'd eat it again if someone else was paying, but I won't be purchasing any more myself. —AlexPomeranz

2007-03-28 14:25:39   One of the guys, he is the one who comes on wednesday nights his name is Mustafa (sp?) and he rocks! After I bought bolani a couple times my fiance and I became "regulars" and Mustafa would give us an extra container of this or that every time we came to the market. They will treat you really well if you buy from them and talk to them enough that they can start to recognize you. Bolani and all of the sauces are really yummy, filling, and worth the money! —ColinWard

2008-02-09 11:05:08   so many samples! indeed, the guy at the stand at farmer's market is very generous with samples (if you stand there he will keep handing you different combinations of their dips and bolani). honestly the spinach bolani is filling to me but maybe that's just me, either way i find it pretty delicious.

—MiranPark

2008-03-20 04:59:54   They hand over the sample first and talk later. Its the best way to do business at a place like Farmer's Market. Not that I'm complaining, but I think its the free samples that drive up the price when you actually buy some. Totally worth either way. I just wish they accepted cards. —scrizer

2008-06-08 00:17:10   heat up bolani in pan with olive oil until its crispy on the outside...good stuff! —ericaSbutnotreally

2008-07-30 15:49:34   The sweet jalapeno sauce is AMAZING!! Get it with the spinach bolani and garlic-mint-cheese! I'll be trying some more combinations today... —paige22ae