Turkish Spinach with Tomatoes and Rice
Published April 4, 2012
Andrew Scrivani for The New York Times
- Total Time
- 50 minutes
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
2 pounds spinach, stemmed and washed in 2 changes water, or 1 pound baby spinach
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 can diced tomatoes in juice or, in season, 1 ¼ pound tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped
1 cup chicken stock, vegetable stock, garlic broth or water
2 to 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (to taste)
3 tablespoons long grain or basmati rice, rinsed in several changes of water, or ½ cup cooked brown rice
Salt to taste
2 teaspoons paprika
½ teaspoon cinnamon
¾ to 1 teaspoon sugar (to taste)
Nutritional analysis per serving
13 grams carbs; 109 calories; 3 grams monosaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 1 gram saturated fat; 5 grams fat; 4 grams fiber; 558 milligrams sodium; 5 grams protein; 2 grams sugar
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
Wash the spinach and, working in batches if necessary, steam for about 2 minutes above an inch of boiling water, just until wilted. Remove from the heat and set aside.
- Step 2
Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large, lidded skillet or casserole and add the garlic. Cook, stirring, until it begins to sizzle and smell fragrant, about 30 seconds, and stir in the tomatoes. Cook, stirring often, for 5 to 10 minutes, until the tomatoes have cooked down slightly. Add the stock or water, the lemon juice, rice, salt, paprika, cinnamon, sugar and steamed spinach and bring to a simmer.
- Step 3
Cover, turn the heat to low and simmer 15 minutes. Uncover and continue to cook until the mixture has the consistency of a thick stew, about 15 minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings. Serve hot or warm.
Advance preparation: You can steam the spinach 1 or 2 days ahead. This dish makes a great leftover that I enjoyed for 3 days running.
Private Notes
Comments
Having cooked this dish for many years, I can add a little information. It is bessed served with plain yogurt on the side, and can also include some sauteed ground meat and onions. In fact, I've never eaten it without at least one medium-sized onion chopped and sauteed. My own way of cooking it derives from the years I have lived in Turkey and the traditions of my Turkish family. Oh, and cinnamon would not be added to this dish.
I have Turkish heritage and have loved this dish all of my life. Even my kid who doesn't like spinach loves this dish. It feels like a super food and all of the flavors are so good. I have to agree that cinnamon has no place in this dish. Please omit the cinnamon. Turkish savory dishes do not include cinnamon, I think someone is confusing cultures here. I don't even add paprika. Salt, a tiny bit of sugar (because all olive oil based dishes with tomato need a touch of sugar) and some lemon juice.
Tasty, easy and healthy. I made this with blanched collard greens and leftover rice that I had cooked with turmeric, which added a nice color, and added chopped onions as suggested by previous reviewers. One reviewer suggested that they wouldn’t add cinnamon in Turkey, which I can’t speak to, but I thought the cinnamon was what made the dish distinct and delicious.
My guests ignored the delicious Turkish lamb i had cooked and raved about this spinach dish - i used only 1/3 of the tomato suggested but I'm sure it's equally good either way. It's the lemon juice i think that really made it stand out
Made it once before and I didn’t love it. Made it second time and I love it! Don’t know what I did differently. Used a small can of red chili beans instead of rice. The flavor was lovely and it’s a good change from stir fry spinach.
Perfect way to use super ripe garden tomatoes and a bag of baby spinach on the edge. I did not have paprika, so I substituted 3 teaspoons of garam masala for both the paprika and cinnamon. Delicious!