🔗 Share this article Meat-Free Recipe for Patates Yahni: A Soul-Satisfying Greek Classic Globally, everyday chefs often find themselves convert a humble sack of potatoes into a satisfying evening meal. In my kitchen experiments often involve a aromatic Sri Lankan potato curry, a flavorful Gujarati version, or even a patiently simmered Spanish tortilla for a cozy occasion. This time, however, the answer comes from Greece. Yahni describes a classic Greek preparation technique: produce braised amply in olive oil and tomatoes until wonderfully yielding. It’s not just a dish—it’s a vote of the unfussy, the patient, and the incredibly satisfying (and yes, it also makes a wonderful dinner). Potato Yahni Enjoy this with warm bread or soft flatbreads for a substantial dinner. It also pairs beautifully with a assortment of picky bits or even crowned with a runny egg for a unexpectedly great breakfast. Prep Time: 10 minutes Cook Time: 1 hour Serves: 4 people What's Required 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 Directions Step One Heat five tablespoons of olive oil in a capacious casserole dish that has a fitting lid. Set it over a fairly high heat. Once the oil is heated, add the onion slices and a teaspoon of salt. Sauté, moving it around, for about 10 minutes, until the onion is translucent enough to yield to a wooden spoon. Adding the Potatoes Add the minced garlic and cook for a further two minutes, to release its aroma. Then, incorporate the potato wedges and oregano, tossing until they are nicely glossed in the oil. Spoon in the tomato puree and cook for one minute. Tip in the chopped tomatoes along with 400ml of water. Increase the heat until it boils, then put the lid on, reduce the heat to a low simmer, and leave to cook for 20 minutes. Step Three Meanwhile, whizz up the whipped feta. In a small bowl with a hand blender, combine 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 completely smooth. 4. Final Simmer Mix the pitted kalamata olives into the potato stew. Let it cook without the lid for a further 15-20 minutes, until the potatoes are tender all the way through and the sauce has become beautifully cohesive. Step Five Serve the steaming yahni into pasta bowls. Top each with a liberal amount of the whipped feta and a scattering of dried oregano. The stew is a testament to the magic of few components turned into something special by time and care. Share!