Most of my friends when we were kids ate spinach only because of Popeye. I did not. I ate spinach because my mom made delicious spinach and I never understood how spinach that comes out of a can could be tasty or powerful, especially without yogurt. Here's my mom's recipe; almost her recipe, because I made a few moderations in years.
1 1/2 pound (app. 700 gr.) spinach, fresh or frozen - baby spinach would be good, too!
1 big onion, finely chopped
2-3 cloves of garlic, sliced
1 tbsp tomato or pepper paste (or half/half)
1/4 cup olive oil or for a tastier spinach 3 tbsp butter
1/4 cup rice, definitely white
1/3 cup milk or yogurt (milk helps with that weird taste on your teeth after eating spinach)
1 cup hot water
1/2 tsp (or as much as you want) black pepper
salt
pepper flakes
-Heat the oil in a pot and add onion and garlic. Stir for 10 minutes or until they're cooked and add tomato/pepper paste. Stir on medium heat for an other 3-4 minutes.
-If it's fresh, add spinach in small portions, not all at once, and stir for approximately 10-15 minutes until spinach changes into a darker green.
-Pour first milk or yogurt, cook for a minute or two, then water, and then salt-pepper duo.
-Add rice when it starts boiling
-Cook on low heat until rice is cooked (approximately for 30 minutes).
-Serve with yogurt. Spinach means nothing to me if I don't mix it with yogurt, yet again there are a lot of people who like it plain.
PS: To digress from the Turkish recipe towards an Indian touch, replace tomato/pepper paste with curry.
This recipe is for Weekend Herb Blogging which is founded and hosted by Kalyn of Kalyn's Kitchen.
