Afghan Braised Spinach

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This month marks the start of a new Kol Emunah feature: From the Shomrei Kitchen will focus on topics like feeding the hungry, recipes, Kiddush menus, kashrut, profiles of volunteers and any other issues that touch our busy kitchen. Please forward ideas for this column to Aileen Grossberg (email hidden; JavaScript is required).

With the warmth and variety of Afghan food still in our memories, this month’s recipe is taken from the spectacular vegetarian dinner Jill Hamburg Coplan spearheaded and prepared with the assistance of John Lasiter. After looking over the recipes, we chose a dish that wasn’t too bland or too spicy and that was easy to prepare from readily available ingredients. We hope you find the dish just right.

Afghan Braised Spinach
Qorma e Sabzi
6 tablespoons olive oil
6 ounces green onions, white and green parts, chopped (2 to 3 bunches)
1 teaspoon ground fenugreek (optional) (or substitute any/all of these: fresh celery leaves, ground mustard seed, ground fennel seed)
2 pounds frozen, chopped spinach, not defrosted (ideally organic leaf spinach)
1 tablespoon dried dill
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons lemon juice

In a large deep pan, heat the oil over medium-high and sauté the onions until tender, about 7 minutes.

Add the fenugreek if you are using it, and cook for another minute. Add the frozen spinach and cook on medium heat, stirring regularly, until it defrosts and the liquid comes to a boil, about 15 minutes. If the defrosted spinach doesn’t produce any liquid, add a few tablespoons of water to the pan. Once the liquid boils, add the remaining ingredients, stir thoroughly, and drop the heat a bit so the liquid bubbles gently.

Cook for another 10 to 15 more minutes until the liquid is largely absorbed and the spinach very tender. Keep an eye on the spinach as it cooks, stirring occasionally. If the pan dries up, add a little more water and continue cooking.

Note: If you want this dish to be extra flavorful and super creamy, after you’ve followed this recipe, add 1 cup of vegetable or chicken broth to the spinach and continue to cook it for another 30 minutes.

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