Purslane is a green, leafy vegetable sometimes considered an herb or a weed.
It has been present in many ancient cuisines all over the world for thousands of years. Different cultures have different beliefs about its nutritional and even spiritual benefits.
In this simple recipe, fresh purslane leaves, or in Turkish, 'semizotu' (sem-EEZ' oh-TOO'), surrounded by a whip of thick, creamy strained yogurt crushed garlic. The tangy crispness of the fresh purslane goes perfectly with the yogurt and the garlic adds extra punch.
Preparation
- Prep Time - 10 mins
- Cook Time - 1 min
- Total Time - 20 mins
- Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 4 cups purslane leaves
- 3 cups yogurt
- 2 clove
garlic (crushed) - 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
Method
- First cut off any roots from the purslane. Wash and drain it twice to make sure there is no soil or grit left on the leaves.
- Separate the leaves from the stems. You can save the stems for use in other recipes if you wish. Spin the leaves in a salad spinner to remove any extra moisture.
- In a separate bowl, whip together the other ingredients using a wire whisk until smooth and creamy. Adjust the amount of salt and pepper to your taste.
- Add the purslane leaves and mix together well. Make sure all the leaves are covered with the yogurt mixture.
- Serve immediately, or cover and chill it for several hours or overnight. The flavor actually gets better if the salad rests for a while. Gently stir it again before serving.