Spinach inquisition: City restaurants celebrate Int'l Spinach Day with interesting dishes

We kick-start the weekend’s International Spinach Day celebrations with our curated list of the most interesting dishes across the city that celebrate the leafy green

Though they might seem like a highly unlikely and incongruous duo to be written about in the same sentence — what with one being a fictional cartoon character and the other, a French queen — Catherine de Medici and Popeye, The Sailor, have one thing in common. Their obsession with spinach!

In fact, thanks to the former, dishes served on a bed of wilted spinach are known as “Florentine,” reflecting the birth of the Italian-born Catherine in the city of Florence. Case in point being the beloved riff over Eggs Benedict a la Eggs Florentine.

Widely recognised as one of the healthiest foods on the planet, not in the least for its high iron content and being a great source of protein, calcium, fibre, and vitamins A, C and K, we love our palak in its myriad iterations. No big surprise then, today is celebrated as International Spinach Day.

The Guide’s top 5 picks

Spanakopita tart

A riff on a traditional Greek spanakopita, this tart version of the pie is one of the signature dishes at Balsa, Lower Parel. This one comprises a creamy spinach, potato, and feta mixture sitting pretty in a flaky, delicate phyllo pastry crust that literally shatters to the bite. A cooling dill cream served alongside makes it the perfect summer dish.
Log on to: @balsamumbai
Call: 8657929833
Cost: Rs 495

Spinach ravioli in pesto beurre blanc

Another dish that heroes the whole ‘spinach on spinach’ trend is this pasta one by Silver Beach Café. Available at all three of its Bandra, Juhu and Andheri outposts, this iteration has freshly made spinach ravioli stuffed with sautéed spinach and homemade ricotta cheese. The ravioli are then tossed in a creamy emulsion of basil pesto, butter and white wine.
Log on to: @silverbeachcafe 
Call: 9920771234 
Cost: Rs 565

Crunchy chlorophyll dim sum in red Thai curry

As outre as its name might seem, this dish from Santé Spa Cuisine at BKC is a celebration of subtle flavours with a jazzed-up presentation. Both vegan and gluten-free, the dim sums are made of tapioca flour and spinach paste, filled with a combination of spinach, bok choy and celery. These are then plated with red Thai curry as the base, which is also vegan, and sent off with a garnish of a green scallion chutney.
Log on to: @santemumbai
Call: 9136962944
Cost: Rs 425

Spinach tofu edamame salad

Far from being a mere side act, this Japanese salad served at Zenmai in Santacruz is a refreshing vegan main show that has a bright green spinach base. Atop this, sits a blob of silken tofu and edamame beans for texture. Typical Japanese garnish accoutrements like a sesame-ponzu sauce, fried garlic, and fried ginger anoint it along with unusual ones like a zingy ginger jelly and wakame leaves.
Log on to: @zenmaimumbai
Call: 9136699701
Cost: Rs 475

Go-green egg cups

An innovative culinary hybrid of a muffin-meets-soufflé, these spinach-redolent oven-baked egg cups from The Bandstand Pantry in Bandra are as healthy as they are light and airy. Aptly named ‘go-green’, these keto-friendly breakfast cups are made with egg whites along with chopped baby spinach, broccoli and Hass avocados for the ultimate glut of all things green.
Log on to: @thebandstandpantry
Call: 9920100084
Cost: Rs 345

Spinach croquettas

Ingredients
>> 300 gm chopped spinach>> 100 ml milk
>> A pinch of nutmeg powder >> 50 gm mozzarella cheese >> 1 tsp chopped garlic >> 1 tsp chopped onion >> 15 ml olive oil 
>> A pinch of crushed black pepper >> Salt to taste
For crumbing
>> 50 gm panko bread crumbs (can be substituted with fresh bread crumbs) >> 30 gm refined flour (maida)>> 30 ml water
For frying
>> 300 ml sunflower oil

Method
Heat olive oil in a frying pan and once slightly smoky, add all the main ingredients, mixing well. Cook for four to five minutes until the spinach is wilted. Allow to cool to room temperature while still in the pan. Using the palm of your hands, roll the cooled mixture into round croquettas and roll in the crumbing mixture. Shallow-fry in sunflower oil over medium-high heat till golden brown. Serve hot with any spicy sauce or garlic aioli.

Megha Datwani, owner and recipe developer, Poco Loco Tapas and Bar, Khar.

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