Plant-Based Dish for Greek Potato Stew: A Heartwarming Greek Staple

Globally, home cooks often find themselves transform a humble sack of potatoes into a delicious evening meal. In my cooking adventures might lead to a spicy Sri Lankan potato curry, a savory Gujarati version, or even a slow-cooked Spanish tortilla for a special occasion. Today, however, the solution comes from Greece. Yahni describes a time-honored Greek preparation technique: vegetables braised liberally in olive oil and tomatoes until perfectly tender. It’s as much a philosophy—it’s a endorsement of the unfussy, the slow, and the truly delicious (and yes, it also makes a wonderful dinner).

Greek Braised Potatoes

Serve this with crusty bread or soft flatbreads for a hearty meal. It also works wonderfully with a selection of mezze or even served alongside a fried egg for a remarkable breakfast.

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Serves: 4 people

Ingredients

• Extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 large red onion, peeled, halved, and thinly sliced
• Fine sea salt
• 4 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
• 1kg desiree potatoes (or other waxy variety), cut into 2½cm wedges
• 2 tsp dried oregano, plus extra for garnish
• 2 tbsp tomato puree
• 2 x 400g tins of finely chopped tomatoes
• 150g feta cheese
• 75g Greek yoghurt
• 1 lemon, finely zested, plus 1 tbsp of juice
• 80g pitted kalamata olives

Instructions

Step One

Pour five tablespoons of olive oil in a wide, deep-sided pan that has a fitting lid. Set it over a moderately high heat. Once the oil is shimmering, add the sliced red onion and a teaspoon of salt. Cook, giving it an occasional stir, for about 10 minutes, until the onion is yielding enough to be cut a wooden spoon.

2. Building Flavor

Add the minced garlic and cook for another two minutes, to release its aroma. Then, incorporate the potato wedges and oregano, mixing until they are evenly covered in the oil. Add the tomato puree and cook for one minute. Add the chopped tomatoes along with 400ml of water. Increase the heat until it boils, then cover it, turn down the heat to a low simmer, and leave to cook for 20 minutes.

3. The Whipped Feta

Meanwhile, whizz up the whipped feta. In a blender, process the feta, Greek yoghurt, lemon zest and juice, three tablespoons of olive oil, and a couple of good pinches of salt until the mixture is luxuriously creamy.

Finishing the Stew

Mix the pitted kalamata olives into the simmering pot. Continue to simmer uncovered for a further 15-20 minutes, until the potatoes are completely soft and the sauce has reduced to a rich consistency.

Plating Up

Spoon the hot yahni into pasta bowls. Finish each with a healthy dollop of the whipped feta and a light sprinkling of dried oregano.

The stew is a testament to the magic of few components turned into something special by time and care. Savor!