Kenyan braised collard greens and ground beef, also known as Sukuma Wiki, is quick and SUPER easy to make – perfect for when you’re craving something a little more exotic with pretty common ingredients.
Kenyan Braised Collard Greens and Ground Beef (Sukuma Wiki)
Kenyan Braised Collard Greens and Ground Beef (Sukuma Wiki)Sukuma wiki is the Swahili name for collard greens which translates to “push/stretch the week”. In East Africa they use collards to stretch out a meal so it lasts the whole week, so as you can imagine this dish is very economical.
A few of my favorite African-inspired dishes are North African Spiced Shrimp and Chickpea Salad, Moroccan Meatballs, and Slow-Cooker Chicken and Sausage Creole.
I’m super excited to share this recipe from my friend Russ’s new cookbook, The Ancestral Table: Traditional Recipes for a Paleo Lifestyle. His cookbook has tons of great International recipes each with a bit of history to go along for each dish as well as stunning photography.
Many of you asked me if I am now going Paleo, and the answer is no. But
that doesn’t mean I can’t enjoy meals that are Paleo-friendly and his book has so many exotic dishes I plan on trying soon. I met Russ of the Domestic Man on a tour of the Culinary Institute in the Fall where we cooked side by side in one of their classrooms. We were both working on our first cookbooks, so while we shared our experience together a kitchen together, we also shared stories of food, writing and more. Hope you enjoy this dish!
Kenyan Braised Collard Greens and Ground Beef
Ingredients
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 1/2 white onion, coarsely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped
- 1 lb 90% lean ground beef
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- 1/2 tsp turmeric
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1 bunch, 8 leaves collard greens, stems removed sliced into 1-inch srips
- 15 grape tomatoes, quartered
- 1 tsp lemon juice
Instructions
- Warm the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
- Add the onion and saute until soft, about 4 minutes.
- Add the garlic and jalapeño and saute until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Add the ground beef and seasonings and cook browned, about 6 to 8 minutes.
- Add the collard greens and tomatoes and saute until wilted, about 4 minutes.
- Stir everything gently as it cooks, careful not to mush the tomatoes.
- Add the lemon juice, season with salt and pepper to taste and serve.
