Print Friendly, PDF & EmailPrint Me!

Stewed Egyptian Spinach with North African Spices

Yield

Yield: 4-5 Servings

Ingredients

Spice Blend:
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  • 1 tsp fennel seeds
  • 1 tsp black peppercorns
  • ½ tsp ground chili pepper
  • 1 tsp coriander seeds
Egyptian Spinach:
  • 3-5 tsp vegetable oil
  • 1 medium onion, diced
  • 3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
  • 1 tomato, chopped or ½ cup tomato sauce
  • 1 ½ cups water
  • 1 jalapeno, minced
  • ¼ cup cilantro, rinsed and chopped
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp spice mixture, plus more to taste
  • 1 bunch fresh Egyptian spinach

Instructions

  1. Prepare spice mix:  Mix all ingredients and place them in a warm cast-iron. Heat it on a low temperature and continuously stir, roughly until fragrant. Remove from the stove immediately.  This process will take about 2 minutes. Blend the mixture using a spice grinder.
  2. Prepare the Egyptian spinach by removing the leaves from the main stem. Roughly chop the leaves into bite-sized pieces and set aside. You should have 2 ¾-3 cups of greens.
  3. Heat 3 tsp oil in a saucepan. Add the onion and garlic. Stir and sauté over medium heat until fragrant and lightly browned.
  4. Add chopped fresh tomato or tomato sauce and ½ cup of water. Cover and simmer for about three minutes. Add jalapeno, cilantro, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp spice mixture, and stir to combine. Add the Egyptian spinach and an additional 1 cup of water.  Cover and continue to simmer until the spinach is softened.  Taste and adjust the seasoning to your liking with additional spice mix and salt as needed. Serve hot with steamed rice or other grains or flatbread such as naan or pita bread.

Notes

Note from Chef Andrea:  This recipe was recommended to us by a CSA member several years ago who tried it and really liked it! It was originally published in Edible Alaska. When I prepared this recipe, I added one pound of browned ground beef and an additional ½-3/4 cup of tomato sauce to the pan when I added the Egyptian spinach and served it over rice as a main dish. I also think it would be tasty with diced zucchini and/or peppers added to the mixture. Play around with it and adapt it to your liking!

 

 

For more amazing recipes featuring vegetables from your CSA boxes, visit our recipe archives!

 

 

Organic Egyptian Spinach
Organic Egyptian Spinach
CSA SIGNUP