Gomen

Ingredients

Greens

• 1 kgcollard greens, or kale
• water, for blanching

Aromatics

• 4 tbspoil, or niter kibbeh for a non-fasting version
• 2onions, finely chopped
• 6garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 tbspfinely grated ginger
• 2green chillies, sliced
• 1 tspground cardamom, if wanted
• salt

To serve

• injera
• other dishes of the fasting platter

Directions

1. Strip the leaves off the thick central stems and discard the stems. Stack the leaves, roll them into a cigar and slice them across into ribbons. Wash the ribbons in a bowl of cold water and lift them out, leaving the grit behind. Now blanching, which is the step many recipes skip and should not.
2. Bring a large pan of water to the boil. Drop the greens in and boil them for five minutes. Drain them and press out as much water as you can. Blanching takes out the raw bitterness and starts the softening.
3. Chop the blanched greens again if any pieces are still large. Warm the oil in a wide heavy pan over a medium-low heat. Add the chopped onions with a pinch of salt. Cook them for fifteen minutes, stirring often, until soft and golden. The onions should collapse rather than colour hard, so keep the heat gentle.
4. Add the garlic, ginger and green chilli. Cook them for three minutes until the raw edge has gone. Stir in the cardamom if you are using it. Add the drained greens and turn them through the onion base.
5. Add a splash of water, about a hundred millilitres, and season with salt. Cover the pan and lower the heat right down.
6. Cook it for twenty minutes, stirring every five. The greens should end up very soft and dark, not bright and squeaky. Take the lid off for the last five minutes. Let the remaining liquid cook away so the greens are moist but not wet.
7. Taste it and adjust the salt, which greens absorb heavily. Spoon it onto injera alongside misir wot, shiro and the other fasting dishes.

Technique

• Blanch the greens first, since it removes the raw bitterness.
• Cook until dark and soft, since bright green gomen is undercooked.
• Use oil for a fasting version and niter kibbeh outside fasting periods.

Substitutions

• Kale or spring greens in place of collards.
• Plain oil in place of niter kibbeh, which is the fasting version anyway.

Variations

• Gomen besiga, with pieces of beef cooked in.
• Ye’abesha gomen, with cottage cheese folded through.
• With more chilli for a hotter version.

History

Collard greens, grown year-round in the highlands, stewed with garlic and ginger as the green anchor of the fasting platter.

Frequently asked questions

What is Gomen?

Gomen is a salad & side from Ethiopia: collard greens simmered with garlic, ginger and spiced oil. Collard greens, grown year-round in the highlands, stewed with garlic and ginger as the green anchor of the fasting platter.

How long does Gomen take to make?

Gomen takes 20 min of preparation and 40 min of cooking. The recipe makes 6 servings. It is rated easy to make.

What can I substitute in Gomen?

Yes, within limits. Kale or spring greens in place of collards. Plain oil in place of niter kibbeh, which is the fasting version anyway.

What is the most important thing to get right in Gomen?

Chop the blanched greens again if any pieces are still large. Warm the oil in a wide heavy pan over a medium-low heat. Add the chopped onions with a pinch of salt. Cook them for fifteen minutes, stirring often, until soft and golden. The onions should collapse rather than colour hard, so keep the heat gentle.