Levantine cuisine · Vegetable Dishes

Khubeizeh

Wild mallow leaves braised in olive oil with plenty of onion, a classic of Palestinian wild-herb cooking.

Ingredients · for 4 servings

• 1 kg spinach (or mallow leaves as a substitute)
• 3 onions
• 4 cloves garlic
• 6 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 lemon
• 1 pinch chili flakes
• Salt, pepper

Instructions

1. Pick the mallow leaves off the tough stems, wash them thoroughly twice in standing water and roughly chop them – wild greens often carry sand.
2. Finely dice the onions and braise them in 4 tbsp olive oil over medium heat for 10–12 min. until light brown and sweet.
3. Add the finely chopped garlic with cumin and chili flakes and toast for 1 min. until strongly fragrant.
4. Add the leaves to the pot in batches, letting each batch wilt down before adding the next.
5. Season with salt and pepper and braise covered over low heat for 12–15 min. until the leaves are very soft and only a little dark green liquid remains in the pot.
6. Season with the juice of the lemon and the remaining olive oil, and serve warm with flatbread and yogurt.