681. Iraqi Tomato Spinach Stew

Iraqi marags (stews) are defined by the type of vegetable and meat in it, as well as by its color.

We have red marags, like Bamia, Aubergine, and White Bean.
Yellow marags, like Courgette, Tashreeb, and Habeet.
And "white" marags, like Yachni, which has no tomato to make it red, nor curry or turmeric to make it yellow.
Spinach marag, a favorite of mine, can be made as a red or yellow stew, and how you like it would depend mostly on how it was made while you were growing up. I personally prefer the yellow, but the red has another dimension of flavor to it worth trying. I made this red version without a pulse, but you can easily add cooked chickpeas or split peas. Using a pressure cooker to cook the meat cuts down the cooking time drastically and makes it literally fall off the bone. If you cook this the traditional stovetop way, depending on the cut of meat I would recommend simmering covered for a good hour and a half to two hours.

Ingredients:

750g meat on bone
1 large onion, sliced
6 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp Madras curry powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 loomi (dried limes), pierced
1 pk (400g) frozen spinach
3 Tbsp tomato paste

Method:

Sear the meat on all sides in a tablespoon of ghee.
Add the sliced onion, garlic, pierced dried limes (loomi), turmeric, Madras, and pepper.
Add boiled water to cover by an inch or two.
Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat to medium low, and simmer for 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
Add the thawed spinach, tomato paste, and salt.
Simmer for an additional 30 minutes.
Serve alongside rice.

 صحة و عافية