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Ispanak Yemeği

Serves 4 to 6 Entree vegetarian

Ispanak Yemeği

Ispanak Yemeği is a staple in Turkish home kitchens, where it finds its place on the table as an everyday comfort dish. Cooked with the simplicity of ingredients that speak to the heart of Turkish home cooking, this spinach dish often appears during lunch or as part of a larger evening spread. It's a reflection of how meals are prepared with care, using generous amounts of fat and a pinch of salt judged by the cook's hand.

This dish should taste like the earthiness of spinach, softened by the sweetness of sautéed onions and the richness of butter. The rice adds a gentle texture, absorbing the flavors and binding them together. A final touch of yogurt on the side provides a cooling contrast, completing the meal with a balance that Turkish cooks have mastered over generations.

Ingredients

  • 600 gspinach
  • 1onion
  • 2 tbspbutter
  • 2 tbsprice
  • yogurt — to serve
  • to tastefine sea salt and black pepper

Method

  1. Start by thoroughly washing 600 g of spinach to remove any dirt or grit. Drain the spinach well and roughly chop it into large pieces. Peel and finely chop 1 onion. Set these aside as you prepare to cook.
  2. In a large, deep skillet or pot, melt 2 tbsp of butter over medium heat. Once the butter has melted and begins to foam, add the chopped onion. Stir occasionally and cook until the onion becomes translucent and soft, which should take about 5 to 7 minutes. This slow cooking allows the onion to release its sweetness, forming the base of the dish.
  3. Add the chopped spinach to the pot with the onions. Stir well to coat the spinach with the buttery onions. The spinach will start to wilt and reduce in volume. This should take a few minutes, and you want the spinach to be bright green and tender, not mushy.
  4. Stir in 2 tbsp of rice, ensuring it is evenly distributed among the spinach. The rice will absorb the flavors from the spinach and onions as it cooks. Add a small amount of water, just enough to cover the bottom of the pan, to help the rice cook through without sticking.
  5. Cover the pot with a lid and reduce the heat to low. Allow the mixture to simmer gently until the rice is cooked and tender. Check occasionally and add a little more water if necessary to prevent sticking. The dish is ready when the rice is fully cooked and the spinach is soft but still holds its shape.
  6. Season the Ispanak Yemeği with fine sea salt and black pepper to taste. Stir well to ensure the seasoning is evenly distributed. Taste the dish and adjust the seasoning if needed.
  7. Serve the Ispanak Yemeği warm, with a dollop of yogurt on the side. The creamy yogurt complements the earthy spinach and adds a refreshing contrast to the dish. Enjoy it as part of a shared meal, as is traditional in Turkish home cooking.
Cover of Authentic Turkish Cuisine
From the cookbook

Authentic Turkish Cuisine

This recipe is from Authentic Turkish Cuisine by Yassine Sbiti — the Turkish volume in the ComidaTime International Cuisines series.

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