How can I cook spinach well?

Question

I love spinach in a restaurant but when I do it myself it ends up soggy or has that strange bitter taste that makes your teeth feel strange. I was wanting to add some frozen spinach to a ready made curry sauce how do you suggest I prepare it? Does it always taste good in a restaurant because they douse it in oil?

Answer 1

I'd suggest steaming it for a few minutes before adding it to your curry sauce, maybe steam it with a few herbs to pep the taste up.. make sure you wash the spinach thouroughly before cooking though

Answer 2

Spinach, especially baby spinach, is best served at the very last minute scorched in a small amount of virgin olive oil and a touch of course sea salt. If it has the opportunity to sit around it will leak all over the place and turn bitter. If you want to add it to a ready made curry sauce, use a good one, such as Loyd Grossmans. The key to making it taste good is a little oil, but with some sauces it won't be required. If you use frozen spinach, thaw it out and make sure you drain all the water out of the spinach by using a kitchen towel and squeezing the heck out of it over a kitchen sink until it is literally dry as a bone. Then cook the spinach in your favourite sauce until it condenses down some and serve over rice or whatever floats your boat. Good luck!

Answer 3

You've had some bad advice on this one! Whatever you do, don't boil it for 10 minutes!!! You don't really cook spinach, you simply wilt it in either a steamer or boiling water for a few seconds only. It's ready to eat when it goes limp. And remember, you always need more of it than you think you will! I often make salad using spinach instead of lettuce - it's really good eaten raw, and contains lots of iron so is very good for you. A yummy way to use it is, wash it, chop it up small, then mix in a bowl with cottage cheese. Add salt, pepper and a sprinkling of garlic granules. It's gorgeous!

Answer 4

Frozen spinach always goes soggy. It's OK for baby food and invalids, but not what you're looking for. You can buy fresh spinach or spinach beet all the year round, so there's no need to go for the soggy stuff.

You cook it by wilting it. Put it in a metal sieve or colander over a pan of boiling water for about 2 minutes. As soon as the colour changes (it goes a darker green) it's ready. Any longer and it's school dinners.

It's fine to serve it just as it comes out of the pan. If you're eating it with curry, add a little clarified butter (you can do this in the microwave - just melt it). For italian recipes, add a little white vinegar and serve with a slice of lemon.

Answer 5

spinach is very versatile and blends well with other veggies

you can try out these :

you need:
finely dice 2-3 tomatoes, about 500 gms spinach, a tbspn oil, spices, tomotoe puree

wash the spinach, steam the spinach leaves gently for no more than 3-4 minutes (only place the spinach in the water after it starts boiling and remove it quickly after)

heat 1 spoon of oil in a girdle and add cumin seeds / mustard seeds, a few black peppers, when they start crackling, add the tomatoes and let them fry for 2 minutes, add some spices (its your choice - you can use turmeric, cumin powder, paprika, red chilli powders etc ) then add the spinach leaves and cover for about 5 minutes

add the salt - then add half a spoon sugar, add very little water mixed with 1 small spoon of puree (depends on how watery you want it)

you will love this curry !

you can also try small diced potatoes first, let them cook and then add spinach just like above. add tomatoes last if you use potatoes

go to : tarladalal.com and click on free recipes... she has some nice ideas with spinach !

hope you become a spinach expert !!

Answer 6

It would depend on how you want the spinach, mixed with the curry or as a side dish? If its part of the curry it should only be cooked for about 1 minute, try adding a bit of lime juice at the same time that you add the spinach. If its a side dish your after try -
900g/2lb baby spinach leaves
3 large shallots, finely chopped
25g/1oz unsalted butter
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
Method
1. In a large heavy skillet cook shallots in butter over a moderate heat, stirring until softened.
2. Add spinach and salt and pepper and saute over medium-high heat, stirring, until wilted and tender, for 2-3 minutes.
3. Drain in a colander and serve.

Answer 7

Do NOT boil it! Make sure it's clean, melt a knob of butter in a pan, add the spinach and put on the lid tightly. Leave it for about a minute over a medium heat, shake the pan and add lots of freshly ground nutmeg, salt and pepper. You can cook it for another 30 seconds or so if you like, otherwise serve it straight out of the pan. If you're adding it to a sauce, just cook it for 30 seconds then mix it in.

Answer 8

An old SA recipe : First make sure all the stems are removed. Add salt to a pan and boil it for a few minutes, until soft. Drain and mash. I then make a nice cheese sauce (white sauce with grated cheese in) and pour the cheese sauce over the spinach. Mix well and serve YUM!

Answer 9

Frozen spinach just needs to be defrosted and chopped and then add what you want. Fresh spinach is wonderful. (Can just chop up a bit of fresh and add to most sauces.) For traditional side dish. Two large packages in a stock pot with just enough water to cover the bottom. Under medium heat it will wilt in minutes. That is the spinach that you buy frozen. To make spinach alone just place the juices from cooking into a small pot. At medium low heat add a tablespoon of butter and then cream in a small amount of flour. Put in a dash of soy sauce, a pinch of salt. a shake of onion powder. Once sauce is smooth and creamy stir in your chopped spinach. Very good. Only time I use oil is on fresh spinach. Olive oil, Balsamic vinegar and water mix. Easy quiche or souffle = 1/2 pint cream, 3 eggs, and mix in chopped spinach (salt, pepper, onion powder in mix & coriander/ginger sprinkled on top). Bake in buttered souffle pan or place in pie shell. Cook at 350 til custard rises and is lightly browned (20-30min).

Answer 10

Frozen spinach has a terrible texture. Fresh is a lot better.
You need to add it right at the end and cook it until the cellulose has broken down a bit, but not so long that it's gone mushy. The easiest way is to stir it through until it's reduced in size quite a lot, and then remove it from the heat and stir for another minute or so, and then serve immediately.