Name: Spinach Stew (Yakhni sabanekh)
Cuisine: Palestinian
Ingredients: 1 tbs olive oil or samneh; 5 garlic cloves, crushed; 1 tsp pepper; 1.3 kg (2 lb 15 oz) spinach leaves, trimmed and washed; 1½ tsp salt; ¼ cup olive oil; 1 whole onion; 1 kg (2 lb 4 oz) chunks of lamb or beef for stew

Preparation info

Difficulty
Easy

Appears in

Classic Palestinian Cuisine

By Christiane Dabdoub Nasser

Published 2000

About

Traditionally grown spinach from the south of Bethlehem, with its delicate texture and flavour, renders this dish most special. Unlike the other stews I cook, the only spice I use for this stew is pepper so as not to interfere with the subtle flavour of the spinach.

Ingredients

1 kg (2 lb 4 oz) chunks of lamb or beef for stew

Method

In a large pan, brown the meat with the onion in the butter. Add the salt and pepper and enough water to cover the meat. Bring to the boil then let it simmer for 60–70 minutes. The amount of time can vary according to the type and cut of meat you use; in Palestinian cooking, the meat is always cooked until it is very tender.

When the meat is done, add the spinach leaves either whole or