Stranger Foods

BalkanSpinach and rice

Serves 4 | Prep 15 mins | Cook 35 mins

Spanak Kˇioriz is something I adored eating as a child and still do. My mother made it frequently, so to me it will always have that special taste of comfort and love. It is still something I ask her to make for me because, as is the way with comfort food from our childhood, it always tastes better when made by my mother’s hands. Really this is a sort of spinach risotto, very similar to Turkish pirinçli ispanak and Greek spanakorizo but with Balkan elements, specifically the use of sweet paprika and tomatoes. It is generally eaten as a hot meal, sometimes topped with fried eggs. Some like to bake the spinach rice in the oven and top it with eggs, almost like a shakshuka, and some like to add meat. I prefer the simplicity of making it risotto-style, then adding fried or poached eggs for a quick and healthy family meal.

Source: The Balkan Kitchen

Ingredients

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Imperial

x0.5

2 tbsp sunflower or olive oil
3 spring onions, finely chopped, or 1 onion, finely chopped
½ tsp sea salt flakes
1 tbsp tomato purée or paste, or 1 medium tomato, peeled and grated
750 ml vegetable stock
1 tbsp sweet paprika
125 g risotto rice or pudding rice (arborio or carnaroli)
300 g baby spinach, stalks removed if you have time
freshly ground black pepper

To serve

4-8 eggs, fried or poached (optional)
plain yoghurt
white cheese (or feta)
crusty bread

Instructions

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Heat the oil in a large saucepan over a medium-high heat and fry the onion with the salt for , stirring occasionally, until soft and just starting to caramelise.
Reduce the heat to medium, add the tomato purée and 2 tablespoons of the stock and cook for , stirring constantly, until well combined with the onion. Add the paprika and stir well to combine, taking care not to burn the paprika - loosen the mixture with a tablespoon or two more of the stock if you need to.
Next, add the rice and stir for until it is well coated in the onion, paprika and tomato mixture. Increase the heat to medium-high and add the vegetable stock a ladle at a time, stirring often, until the rice is nearly cooked - about . You may not need all the stock. If you need a little more liquid, just top up the stock with water.
Add the spinach and another ladle of stock or water and cook for a further , stirring occasionally, until the rice is cooked but retains a bite and the spinach has wilted down. Taste and adjust the seasoning, adding a good grind of black pepper.
Serve the rice with fried or poached eggs if you like, as well as yoghurt, white cheese and crusty bread on the side.

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