SAEDNEWS: Ghaliyeh Esfenaj is a flavorful and nourishing dish made by combining legumes with spinach, whey (kashk), and small meatballs.
Qalieh is a type of Iranian stew made from a combination of fish, shrimp, chicken, veal, or other meats with herbs like spinach, mint, parsley, and more. The most famous version is fish qalieh, a flavorful and nutritious stew where fish, herbs, and tamarind form the main ingredients.
Spinach qalieh is a particularly tasty and nourishing version of this traditional stew. It combines legumes with spinach and meat, making it rich in iron and essential minerals. Its hearty ingredients give it incredible flavor, making it a wholesome choice for a satisfying meal. Here’s how to prepare it easily at home.
Spinach: 1 kg
Ground meat: 350 g
Onion: 1
Cowpea beans, lentils, and split peas: 150 g total
Kashk (fermented whey): 2 cups
Salt, pepper, turmeric: as needed
Fried onions: as needed
Fried mint: as needed
Oil: as needed
Soak the split peas and cowpeas for 3–4 hours. Lentils do not need soaking.
Cook each type of legume separately in water with a pinch of salt until tender.
Grate the onion, then mix with ground meat, a little salt, pepper, and turmeric.
Form small meatballs from the mixture.
Heat oil in a pan and fry the meatballs until golden.
Once the legumes are cooked and still slightly watery, combine them in a pot and add the fried meatballs.
Chop the cleaned and washed spinach and add it to the pot.
Simmer on low heat until the spinach is cooked and excess water evaporates.
Add a few tablespoons of fried onions and kashk, and let the stew simmer for another 15 minutes.
Serve the spinach qalieh in a bowl, garnished with kashk, fried onions, and fried mint. Enjoy!
Spinach is highly nutritious, packed with vitamins and minerals that support the immune system, prevent cancer, promote skin and hair health, and strengthen bones. It can also help relieve constipation, especially in middle-aged and older adults. To clean spinach, soak it in lukewarm water for a few minutes to let sand settle, then rinse thoroughly with cold water. Never wash spinach after chopping to preserve nutrients, and cook only the amount needed. Choose tender, fresh leaves and chop them into 4 cm pieces to avoid mushy texture.
Fried onions enhance flavor, but they must be finely cut and fully dry. Fry thinly sliced onions in plenty of preheated oil and make sure they float in the oil. Drain excess oil after frying to keep the onions crisp. Avoid layering freshly fried onions over previous batches to prevent sogginess.
Kashk is high in calories, so use it sparingly if managing weight. It contains some salt, so add additional salt only after tasting. Kashk spoils quickly and can cause severe food poisoning, so use packaged, pasteurized versions if possible. Local kashk is tastier but should be purchased from a trusted source. Kashk is nutritious but can cause bloating and slow digestion; pairing it with dried mint aids digestion.
