Purslane Tzatziki
After the crazy weekend I had it is not surprising that I am posting summer recipes almost two in succession, well, summer was not really un-crazy for me but the good thing about summer is that almost every else pauses and takes a little hiatus at least the weather tries to. Well, the rain lover that I am with all the rain we have been having the past several days. Possibly also because this past week has just been strangely humid.
The Story of Purslane Tzatziki
The new thing in my life has been fitting in soccer into the already crazy thing we call a weekend. It really is the weekend when I actually offer some thought to the term soccer mom, Well, this soccer mom discovered purslane by accident. Purslane loves wet and humid weather. I found the pretty weed all over the garden beds. After some research, I realized not only is purslane edible, but it is also very nutritious. My favorite part of the garden and farmers markets is discovering new things to work with. Taking it back to its Mediterranean roots, I tried making this Purslane Tzatziki.
Called kulafa ka shaag, in Hindi, purslane is used for treating stomach ailments. It was supposedly a favorite of Mahatma Gandhi. It is best not to cook the herb too much, as it is rich in Omega 3 oils, and in case of a vegetable these oils diminish when cooking.
About Purslane Tzatziki
I made the purslane Tzatziki with simple ingredients – yogurt, garlic and the purslane. I mixed everything together and tasted it. My first taste was disappointment. It did not taste like much. Distracted by other things, about 20 minutes later I tasted this again. At second taste it was all there like an evolving concerto, getting progressively bolder. So yes, this needs some resting time.
How to enjoy your purslane Tzatziki.
It is a great side to this Citrus and Thyme Chicken. It makes for a simple meze maybe with a side of hummus to go with it.
An adapted version of classic Greek condiment, swapping the cucumber for free-growing purslane.
Ingredients
- 2 pods garlic, minced
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- Several grinds of fresh black pepper
- 1 cup of low fat (2%) green yogurt
- 11/2 cups chopped purslane
- 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro or oregano (optional)
Instructions
- Mix together the garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper.
- Whip the yogurt and mix in the garlic mixture.
- Fold in the purslane and the cilantro or oregano (if using) and let the mixture rest for 15 minutes.
- I shall warn you that this is quite addictive, Anshul and I ate the whole thing with some chips for dinner.
Notes
A large part of the prep time is to let the recipe rest.
Zucchini and Chicken Kebabs
[…] I have also spent a lot of time this summer perfecting and reworking old recipes, such as this Purslane Tzatziki or squash with mustard seeds, and of course in between things creating these very simple recipes […]