Sukuma Wiki (Kenyan Sautéed Collard Greens With Tomatoes and Ginger) Recipe

Sukuma wiki—sautéed collard greens sometimes cooked with a aromatic mixture of onions, tomatoes, and ginger—is a well-liked dish in Kenya and considered one of my favourite methods to eat darkish leafy greens. Whereas most children need to be compelled to eat their inexperienced greens, I’ve fond reminiscences of eagerly consuming these merely ready collard greens alongside ugali (cooked cornmeal), each of which my Kenyan grandmother would put together for me. 

At native markets in Kenya, sukuma (collard inexperienced) distributors maintain a decent bundle of the contemporary stemmed and rolled leaves in a single hand whereas rigorously shaving off ribbons of greens. Then they collect the shaved greens into baggage for purchasers to buy to make sukuma wiki at dwelling. Every vendor has their very own most well-liked lower that buyers choose from, typically sliced as thick as 2-inch extensive ribbons and others finer than angel hair pasta. The comfort of having the ability to purchase collards this manner provides to their reputation: a lot of the prep is already achieved for the house prepare dinner. The prepped sukuma is as a lot a staple go-to comfort merchandise in Kenya as bagged child spinach is within the U.S.

In Swahili, “sukuma wiki” interprets to “push the week”, referring to the dish’s skill to stretch all through the week till payday, due to the plentiful availability and affordability of greens in East African international locations corresponding to Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda. It’s easy to organize for any night time of the week—requiring mere minutes in a sautée pan—whereas it’s also nutritious, and an important and comparatively low cost method to bulk up a meal. Listed here are a couple of ideas for easy methods to put together and add taste to sukuma wiki when cooking at dwelling.

Suggestions for Cleansing and Slicing Sukuma Wiki

Whereas most American supermarkets promote collard greens complete fairly than pre-sliced like within the meals markets in Kenya, in the event you observe my ideas, washing and chopping the greens continues to be comparatively straightforward. Don’t be tempted to avoid wasting time and skip washing the greens. Bunched collard greens, like all kind of darkish leafy inexperienced that’s grown within the floor, can have residual dust that when left unwashed earlier than cooking, can have an unwelcome gritty texture. Keep away from this by taking the couple of minutes to fill a big bowl of water, then dipping the person leaves briefly into the water and rubbing them clear earlier than transfering to a colander to empty. A fast drain is all of the leaves want for simpler dealing with when slicing. It’s OK if the leaves are usually not utterly dry after they hit the skillet. Any residual moisture will promote preliminary steaming and shortly prepare dinner off.

The following essential step when getting ready the greens for cooking is to take away the fibrous middle stalk that runs by way of the center of every leaf. The stalk is just too robust to melt within the quick cooking time, so it’s greatest to simply take away and discard or compost them for this dish. As soon as cleaned and trimmed, stack a couple of leaves collectively and curl into a decent coil earlier than operating your knife by way of the greens to type skinny ribbons.

Easy Taste Additions for Sukuma Wiki

Every Kenyan has their very own favourite mixture of aromatics and spices to season the greens. Kenyan variations all the time embrace tomato and onion—a traditional fragrant pairing discovered all through Kenyan delicacies, however past that the flavors can differ barely. Beef or hen bouillon powder is a typical seasoning used for its meaty umami taste that’s so cherished within the nation. The duo of garlic and ginger is extensively utilized in variations of sukuma wiki in coastal Kenya, the place the delicacies has a powerful Indian affect.

In my model, I hold the flavour profile easy, skipping the bouillon powder and garlic. A lightweight sprinkle of salt, contemporary tomatoes, onion, and ginger are the one flavorings I exploit. I really like how ginger brightens and provides a pop of assertive peppery taste to stability the earthy greens. The mix is straightforward, shiny, and utterly satisfying. 

However don’t really feel restricted by the aromatics I’ve chosen right here. Use this as a place to begin to be inventive and add your personal most well-liked flavors, whether or not it’s the straightforward addition of minced garlic, a contact of warmth from pink chile flakes to complete, or a squeeze of lemon juice earlier than serving. No matter flavors you select to reinforce these sautéed collard greens is as much as you, however I like to recommend protecting the mix easy.

I’ve included time ranges for each crisp-tender greens in addition to an extended sauté time for extra tender greens, which is how I desire to take pleasure in my sukuma wiki. Whether or not you favor your greens velvety smooth as I do, or nonetheless with a little bit of chew, these greens come collectively shortly and pair properly with nearly any protein, together with hen, fish, and beef. Or take pleasure in sukuma wiki as my grandmother and I do, as a light-weight meal alongside Kenyan ugali (cooked cornmeal) or one other easy starch corresponding to rice, or chapati.