Recipe: Yoda Stew

(as made BY Yoda, not WITH Yoda!)

This has been shared all over in the last 34 years, but I thought it would be fun to include here as there are so few edible connections to make with the GFFA.
While I wish this was the actual recipe that was served on-set in Yoda’s house (any leads would be amazing!), we’ll have to make do. The recipe originates with the 1983 adaptation of The Empire Strikes Back made by National Public Radio, who solicited gourmet chef Craig Claiborne to come up with something to approximate Yoda’s ‘rootleaf’ stew of the film.

The finished product might look like something made out of swamp-sourced ingredients, but it tastes very much like a modern Indian dish!
Now, if only we knew what sort of seasoning Luke sprinkled onto his bowl of stew!:

Ingredients:

• 3 pounds lean lamb or other meat (I just use one squirrel per batch)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 6 tablespoons oil, light or vegetable or other
• 6 cups parsley, finely chopped (I use 2 bunches from the grocery store)
• 3 cups onions; thinly sliced
• 1 tablespoon garlic; finely chopped
• 2 teaspoons ground coriander
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 2 tablespoons ginger root; finely minced
• 1 teaspoon hot green or red chilies; finely chopped, seeded
• 1/4 teaspoon cardamon; ground
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 bay leaf
• 3 pounds fresh spinach; well rinsed and tough stems removed

1. Cut the meat into one inch cubes, and add salt and pepper to taste.
2. Heat half the oil in a heavy skillet and add the meat, turning to brown the pieces on all sides.
3. Heat the remaining oil in a Dutch oven or heavy casserole and add parsley, onions and garlic. Cook, stirring often until the onions are wilted. Add the meat, coriander, cumin, turmeric, ginger root, chilies, cardamon, cinnamon, cloves, bay leaf, and salt and pepper to taste. Stir. (I add about 2 teaspoons salt at this point, then adjust at end)
4. Add water to cover, bring to boil and cover tightly. Let simmer about 2 to 2 1/2 hours until the meat is quite tender.
5. Meanwhile, drop the spinach into a kettle of boiling water with salt to taste and let simmer about five minutes. Drain well and run under cold water. Drain thoroughly.
6. Squeeze the spinach to remove all excess liquid. Place the spinach on a chopping block and chop coarsely.

Add the spinach to the stew and stir. Let simmer together about five minutes.