By Martha Rose Shulman
- Total Time
- About 30 minutes
- Rating
- 5(82)
- Notes
- Read community notes
This is a wonderful way to eat your spinach. You find variations of the dish from Turkey through the Middle East. I love the subtle spices and the cool yogurt spooned over the hot spinach.
Featured in: Middle Eastern Spinach With Spices and Yogurt
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Ingredients
Yield:Serves 3
- 1clove (⅛ teaspoon ground)
- 2allspice berries (⅛ teaspoon ground)
- ½teaspoon coriander seeds or cumin seeds
- ⅛teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1garlic clove, cut in half, green shoots removed (more to taste)
- Salt to taste
- 1cup drained yogurt
- 1tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1tablespoon pine nuts
- 112-ounce bag baby spinach, washed
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (3 servings)
171 calories; 12 grams fat; 4 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 4 grams monounsaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 8 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams dietary fiber; 4 grams sugars; 11 grams protein; 509 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
Step
1
Heat a small dry skillet over medium heat and add the clove, allspice berries, and coriander seeds or cumin seeds. Heat, shaking the pan, until the spices begin to smell toasty, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and allow to cool for a few minutes, then grind in a spice mill. Add the cinnamon, and set aside.
Step
2
In a mortar and pestle, mash the garlic with ¼ teaspoon salt to a paste, and stir into the yogurt. Set aside.
Step
3
Place the baby spinach in a bowl and pour on boiling water to cover. Let sit for a couple of minutes, then drain, rinse with cold water, squeeze out excess water, and chop coarsely.
Step
4
Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a wide, heavy skillet and add the pine nuts. Cook, stirring, until they begin color (2 to 3 minutes), then remove from the oil with a slotted spoon and set aside. Add the spices to the oil. When they begin to sizzle, cook for about 30 seconds and add the spinach, toasted pine nuts, and salt and pepper to taste. Cook, stirring, until the spinach is heated through and coated with the oil and spices, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a serving dish and spoon the yogurt over the top. This is very nice served with Arabic bread.
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Cooking Notes
Anne
Excellent. I would triple the amount of spinach. It wilts down to so little. I also doubled up on the pine nuts. Who doesn't like pine nuts?
And two fat cloves of garlic (using the microplane) into the yogurt.
MosesKnowses
I used collard greens as I'd forgotten to pick up spinach, but it worked out fine. The dish was paired with Melissa Clark's Middle Eastern Herb and Garlic Chicken. It was a delicious combination. Next time I prepare the dish I'd like to try it with larger quantities of spices and maybe add them to the yogurt as well.
Deb
I mixed it all together...yogurt, spinach (also used much more) and upped the spices all the way around. Delish!
Max F
Made this because I had too much spinach. After playing it I was worried it would be bland. It was very delicious.
mollie
Doubled pine nuts spinach/greens
Es
The yogurt with garlic was a great addition. As one of the cooking notes suggested I used ras el hanout instead of the spice mixture. I imagine it added the same amount of flavor. The spinach without the yogurt was just okay.
Rotmanpr
One of the most interesting and creative spinach recipes ever. Sort of like a Middle Eastern Sag Paneer. And the yogurt topping with salt and garlic, give it a bit of time to meld. I agree, buy lots and lots of spinach, a big 312 gram/11 ounce clamshell package melts down to the size of my fist. Another reliable and healthy Martha Rose Shulman classic. Bravo.
AlanK
Took a shortcut on the spices, a teaspoon of ras el hanout works fabulously.
MosesKnowses
I used collard greens as I'd forgotten to pick up spinach, but it worked out fine. The dish was paired with Melissa Clark's Middle Eastern Herb and Garlic Chicken. It was a delicious combination. Next time I prepare the dish I'd like to try it with larger quantities of spices and maybe add them to the yogurt as well.
Anne
Excellent. I would triple the amount of spinach. It wilts down to so little. I also doubled up on the pine nuts. Who doesn't like pine nuts?
And two fat cloves of garlic (using the microplane) into the yogurt.
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