Sam’s Spinach Lasagna

Spinach is really healthy and rich in nutrients.  Eating spinach is said to make you really strong (remember Popeye the Sailor Man?).  The recipe below is great for ‘Meat Free Mondays’ (or for any day of the week, really).

Thank you to my friend Sam for this recipe.

Spinach Lasagna

Step 1:  Spinach

300 - 400g spinach, chopped* (depending on the size of the dish you are using – see note below)

1 cup onion, chopped
1 tsp jeeru
1 tsp crushed garlic
salt to taste
¼ tsp pepper

1 tsp ground green chilies

1 cup fresh cream

Braise onions in butter/ghee until soft.  Add garlic and braise.  Add spinach, and spices, and cook until spinach is done.  (Spinach should be limp and soft at this stage)
Add the fresh cream and allow to boil once.

Remove from heat and leave aside.

Step 2: Tomato chutney

1 large onion, chopped

1 tsp crushed garlic

1 tin chopped tomatoes

1 tsp mixed herbs

½ tsp basil

½ tsp basil/origanum

2 tsp sugar

Braise onion in butter/ghee until soft. 

Add garlic, tomato and spices. 

Cook until chutney is done.  (Chutney should be thick.  The onions should have ‘disappeared’ into the chutney).

Step 3:  White Sauce

1 green pepper, chopped.

1 green chili

½ litre milk* (depending on the size of the dish you are using – see note below)

Salt, pepper

1.5 tbspn maizena (cornstarch)* (depending on the size of the dish you are using – see note below)

Blend together the above, in a food processor.  Heat 3 tbspn ghee in a pot.  Pour the above mixture into the pot, and allow to boil, to a custard consistency.

Step 4:  Layering

Lasagna sheets

Add tomato chutney to the spinach.

Layer lasagna as follows:  White sauce, softened lasagna sheet, spinach mixture, white sauce, softened lasagna sheet.
(Optional:  To soften a lasagna sheet, place the lasagna sheet in a dish of hot water for a few moments, and then use in layering.  It helps the lasagna to soften in the baking process).

Top with cheese, if desired.  (This recipe is already very rich as it has a cup of cream in it – adding cheese is entirely up to you)

Bake at 180°C for 30 minutes.

*Note:  The above ingredients should be altered depending on the size of bakeware you will be using.  I used two 18cm x 11cm dishes – see picture.