- Serving: 4
- Preparation: 20
- Cook time: 6
- Passive time: 5
Ingredients
- 1 Onion finely chopped
- 2 cloves Garlic finely chopped
- 2 Leeks, sliced (optional)
- 1 Kg Spinach, washed & chopped ( tough stalky bits removed)
- 200 gr Rice
- 1 Tin of tomatoes or 4 medium sized tomatoes-skinned & chopped
- 1 tbsp Tomato paste
- 4 Spring onions, chopped
- 0.5 cup Dill chopped
- Olive oil
- Salt and pepper for seasoning
- ----------------
- To Serve:
- Grated parmesan or similar to sprinkle on top
- Feta cheese
Method
- Pour olive oil into a large, deep saucepan, enough to coat the base and turn on to medium heat.
- Add the onion, most of the spring onion ( save a handful to sprinkle on top when serving) and leeks, cook until soft.
- Add the garlic and cook for a further 2 minutes.
- Add the tomatoes and the tomato paste (diluted in a cup of warm water), cook for 5 minutes until the tomatoes begin to break down.
- Put the spinach into the pan, it will probably look like a ridiculous amount but persevere, push it down and put the lid on. After a couple of minutes it will have reduced to less than a quarter of the original amount. Season with salt and pepper.
- Sprinkle the rice over the spinach and slowly add hot water to cover the contents of the pan, up to approximately one centimeter above the rice. Add seasoning to the rice layer.
- Gently stir, then cover and cook for 20 minutes, until the rice is almost ready. Add the dill, check for seasoning, turn off the heat and leave for at least 5 minutes for the rice to finish cooking and the flavours to develop.
- Sprinkle over the remaining spring onion and grated parmesan or cheese of your choice.
- Serve with feta cheese and crusty bread.
Notes
Like most Greek recipes there are many variations on a theme.
You can omit the tomatoes and tomato paste, adding the juice of one lemon towards the end of the cooking time and serving with lemons to squeeze over according to taste.
You can omit the tomatoes and tomato paste, adding the juice of one lemon towards the end of the cooking time and serving with lemons to squeeze over according to taste.
You can use vegetable stock or a vegetable stock cube to add extra flavor although it’s not really necessary.
About rice. Avoid using short grain, a medium grain rice will work best giving a pleasing creamy texture. Basmati or long grain rice will work too but give a different result, less amalgamated. Brown rice will give you a healthier version, not as creamy but still good- just don’t forget it will need at least an extra 10 minutes cooking time.
