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You are here: Home / MAIN COURSE / Sukuma Wiki

Sukuma Wiki

February 22, 2021 by Ellen Kanner Leave a Comment

Sukuma wiki means “to stretch the week”—in other words, using these greens, which are affordable and readily available, can help stretch any meal a bit further.

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Sukuma Wiki

If you’re like me and love greens, this recipe from Hawa Hassan’s In Bibi’s Kitchen is your recipe. If you’re mystified by what to do with fresh greens, this is your recipe. Even if you hate greens, this is your recipe. But really, it is everyone’s recipe.  Seasonal greens are treated to a quick sauté with aromatics, spices and tomatoes.  The heat tames the greens, and they wilt right down. They’re tender with a deep color and flavor that’s a world away from greens slow-cooked till they’re gray and soggy.

I learned a version of it as a teacher with Common Threads, the nonprofit empowering children to cook. It came from a guest chef who learned it from his mother in Jamaica. I wish the two of us had stayed connected. I sure connected with the greens.

Sukuma Wiki

Since then, I learned this recipe isn’t exclusive to the Caribbean. It comes from Africa. There it’s called sukuma wiki, which means, stretch the week. It’s a budget-stretcher for sure and a delicious gift from the African diaspora. Discover more of Africa’s kitchen riches with Oldways’ African Heritage Diet. Understanding and appreciating its origins makes it even more delicious. Besides, I’m always desperate to get greens into you.

Sukuma Wiki

These well-seasoned greens are similar to collards, which are popular in the American South with their fragrant potlikker and are a reminder of the undeniably deep threads that tie together African and African American cooking. Sukuma wiki means “to stretch the week”—in other words, using these greens, which are affordable and readily available, can help stretch any meal a bit further. Greens are a staple in Kenyan cooking and in most East African cooking in general. Serve this dish with rice for a traditional, healthy, and completely vegan meal.
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Ingredients
  

  • 2 tablespoons canola oil
  • 1 large yellow onion finely diced
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • ½ teaspoon ground coriander
  • ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
  • 2 large tomatoes coarsely chopped
  • 1 pound kale and/or collards or any dark leafy greens, tough stems discarded, coarsely chopped
  • Kosher salt
  • ½ cup water
  • 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

Instructions
 

  • Warm the oil in a large Dutch oven or other heavy pot set over medium heat.
  • Add the onion, cumin, coriander, and turmeric, and cook, stirring, until the onion begins to soften, about 5 minutes.
  • Add the tomatoes, greens, a large pinch of salt, and water. Stir everything well to combine, cover, and simmer, until the greens are very tender and soft, about 15 minutes.
  • Turn off the heat, stir in the lemon juice, season the greens to taste with salt, and serve immediately.
  • Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a few days and rewarmed in a heavy pot set over low heat (stir while you heat).

dividerEK


dividerEKThank you for reading my vegan stories and plant-based recipes. I sincerely love to connect with listeners and would like to hear your feedback, takeaways, “ah-ha!” moments, etc in the comments.

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Filed Under: MAIN COURSE, veggie dish Tagged With: africa, african, black history month, caribbean, collard greens, collards, greens, Hawa Hassan, kale, Sukuma, Sukuma Wiki

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Ellen Kanner ELLEN KANNER is a soulful vegan writer on food, wellness and sustainability with over 15 years' experience. She's a recipe developer for numerous publications...[Read More] .

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