I made this dish twice. The first time it was absolutely amazing – sweet and slimy, just like my favourite Indian saag recipe. Unfortunately, just like my saag, sometimes it’s not so great. The difference was the leafy green in use. The first time I actually made the recipe with collard greens and I skipped the jalapeno peppers. Yes, me, queen of heat, I skipped the jalapenos. Instead I used a yellow chili pepper from my Lufa Farms Fresh Basket since those are actually sweeter than jalapenos. The second time I made this dish with some kind of spicy mustard green and I included the jalapenos.
Disaster. It was bitter and nose-tingling, and not in the good way. So, I insist that you make this with either collard greens or with spinach or something sort of sweet. Maybe kale. Chard may be too bitter. And if you have a yellow or red long, hot chili pepper, use it instead of jalapeno.
Still, the first time it was incredible. Don’t skimp on the oil, as that’s where a lot of flavour comes from, and don’t eat it all at once because of a) the quantity of oil involved, and b) the fact that you’re eating 1 1/2 pounds of greens, which would be near impossible if you were trying to eat them raw. Also, if you change the type of green, change the boiling time at the beginning. There’s no point boiling the bujesus out of the greens and killing all the nutrients if you don’t have to, though there’s an entire school of thought on the fact that lots of cuisines call for long stewing times for greens and how that may actually make some of their nutrients more available. I am not a scientist.
Stewed Collard Greens (Gomen)
Serves 4
1 large bunch collard greens, about 1½ pounds, ribs removed (or other sweet green – spinach, kale)
¼ cup oil (it’s supposed to niter kebbeh or butter or ghee but I don’t stock any of those in my fridge…)
1 red onion, chopped (shallots are amazing here)
2 garlic scapes or 2 cloves garlic, minced
1-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and minced
1-2 fresh hot peppers, preferably long yellow or red chilies,
seeded and minced (or to taste)
1 cup broth (vegetable or chicken. Not bouillion cubes with MSG and unwanted preservatives please. I’d prefer you use water in that case…)
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
½ teaspoon ground cardamom (grinding it from pods will be much more pungent – just crush some pods and remove the shells before further crushing of the seeds in a mortar and pestle)
Directions:
1. Tear the greens from their stems and wash them really well in a large bowl of water (more energy-efficient than just rinsing under running water). They may be fairly gritty. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add the greens. If you’re using collards, boil for 15 minutes (yes, 15! It’s forever, I know), but if you’re using other greens boil only 5-10 (until they’re softened. It could really take no time at all). Drain the greens, squeeze the water out of them, and when cool enough to handle, slice the pieces fairly thinly.
2. In a large skillet, melt the niter kebbeh (or oil).
Add the onion and stir and cook for about 3 minutes before adding the garlic scapes (or garlic), ginger and hot peppers (optional) and simmering, stirring occasionally, for about another 5 minutes. Make sure the onions are actually soft or you’ll be chewing them and that wrecks the whole slimy dish. If you skimped on oil this is more likely to happen. If the onions start sticking (which they shouldn’t if you used enough oil – though you can use just 3 tbsp if you like, and still be just fine stick-wise), add a tbsp of water. Add another tbsp as needed).
3. Add the sliced greens, the broth (or water), salt, pepper and ground cardamom. Bring the skillet to a simmer and cook for about 15 minutes, or until most of liquid has evaporated. Serve with injera, or, you know, naan, or flatbread. Pita is fine in a pinch, because who has injera kicking around this side of the Atlantic Ocean? Actually…I kind of did.
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