Ispanak Kavurma (Turkish Spinach)

Cookgirl's Note:

Courtesy of turkishcookbook.com with only a couple adjustments. I don't usually boil spinach (truthfully?: never) but boiled spinach can be beautiful...

• Total Time: 25 mins
• Prep Time: 10 mins
• Cook Time: 15 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 2

• 17 ounces fresh baby spinach leaves, rinsed well if necessary and drained
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 2 small roma tomatoes, pureed (or any similar tomato-fresh or canned)
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg (reduced from one half teaspoon)
• 4 tablespoons water (or beef or chicken broth)
• salt and pepper, to taste

Sauce

• 1 garlic clove, peeled
• 1/2 cup plain yogurt, drained
• salt

Garnish

• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper (paprika, cayenne, for ex. I used half of each)

Directions:

1. Sauce: Smash the garlic clove with a little bit of salt and combine with the plain yogurt. Set aside.
2. In a pot boil the spinach for 3 1/2-4 minutes, drain. Squeeze as much water out of the spinach that you can then chop it on a cutting board. I used the sides of the colander to "chop" the spinach with the back of a wide spoon.
3. Saute the onion in a medium sized pot with olive oil and salt until the onions are lightly browned. (Tip: cut down on dishes: use the same pot that was used to boil the spinach.).
4. Add the spinach, crushed tomatoes, nutmeg, broth and salt and pepper, to taste. Cook for about 5 minutes over medium-low heat. Turn the heat off. Allow mixture to cool down for a few minutes.
5. Arrange spinach on a platter. Place the yogurt sauce on top.
6. Garnish: heat up the olive oil in a small pan, add in the red pepper and then turn the heat off being careful not to burn!
7. Drizzle the infused red pepper over the yogurt sauce.

Reviews

[awalde]

Hi Cookgirl! This is really a top recipe!
I prepared the double amount yogurt sauce, only because we like it a lot!
Delicious! Thanks for sharing!

[Chef Kate]

Yes, you're right--boiled spinach can be beautiful and this is. I assauged my guilt by using some of the water I boiled the spinach in for the liquid in the recipe. I was intrigued by the use of nutmeg in this Turkish dish--Italians put nutmeg in spinach all the time--is this a Silk Road/Spice Trade thing that Italians learned from Turks way back when? It's delicious in this--I used really nice grape tomatoes, chopped up, and fresh grated nutmeg and the garlic yogurt sauce. I skipped the final garnish--I didn't want more oil or the heat--I really enjoyed this and will make it again. Thanks, CG!

[Sue dOOLITTLE]

My husband and I loved this. Fresh and creamy with the sauce. The only change I made was to not make the garnish step, instead I just put a bottle of hot sauce on the table ( I used it but hubby did not ). Look at all that nutrition & yummy too.