Ingredients
- 600 gcollard greens (sukuma), thick stems removed, rolled and shredded 5 mm thin
- 3 tbspsunflower oil
- 1large onion, finely sliced
- 3tomatoes, chopped
- 2garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tspground cumin, optional
- 1green chilli, sliced, optional
- 1 tspsalt, ½ tsp black pepper
- 120 mlwater
- juice of half a lemon, to finish
To serve
- ugali, and a spoon of kachumbari
Directions
- Stack the collard leaves, roll them into a tight cigar and shred them as finely as you can. The thin cut is what makes sukuma wiki cook fast and eat well with ugali.
- Wash the shredded greens in plenty of cold water and drain them; a little water clinging to the leaves is helpful later.
- Heat the oil in a sufuria or heavy pan over medium heat and fry the onion for 6–8 minutes until soft and starting to brown at the edges. Kenyan cooks take the onion further than you might expect.
- Add the garlic, cumin and chilli and cook 1 minute until fragrant.
- Add the tomatoes and a pinch of salt and cook 6–8 minutes, pressing them down, until they collapse into a thick, oil-slicked paste and the oil separates at the edges.
- Tip in the greens in handfuls, turning each batch through the tomato base until it wilts enough to make room for the next.
- Add the water and the rest of the salt, cover, and simmer 8–10 minutes, stirring once or twice, until the greens are tender but still dark green and holding their shape. They should not turn olive-grey and they should not swim.
- Uncover and cook off any remaining liquid for 2 minutes, so the greens are just moist.
- Check the seasoning, add a squeeze of lemon, and serve hot with ugali, torn and used to scoop.
Technique
- The name means push the week: it is the cheap, everyday green that stretches a household budget between paydays, and it is eaten with ugali across Kenya and Tanzania.
- Sukuma is collard greens, not kale, though kale is what most shops abroad will sell you. Collards are thicker and hold their texture through the braise.
- Do not drown it. This is a braise in a small amount of tomato and water, not a boiled green, and the finished dish should be glossy rather than soupy.
- Cooking the tomato until the oil separates is the base of most Kenyan pot dishes, and skipping it leaves a raw, sharp taste.
Substitutions
- No collards: cavolo nero is the closest in texture, then kale. Cut whichever you use much finer than feels natural.
- A stock cube such as Royco is standard in Kenyan kitchens; use a vegetable one, or 1 tsp of soy sauce, for depth.
Variations
- Cooked with a spoonful of peanut butter or a splash of coconut milk in coastal and western Kenya.
- Sukuma wiki na nyanya, cooked down with far more tomato until it is almost jammy, the Nairobi kibanda style.
- Managu, terere and other indigenous greens cooked the same way, generally considered a step up in flavour.
History
The Swahili name means push the week: cheap kale bulks out ugali to stretch a household’s food until payday.
Frequently asked questions
What is Sukuma wiki?
Sukuma wiki is a salad & side from Kenya: collard greens braised with onion and tomato, ugali’s daily partner. The Swahili name means push the week: cheap kale bulks out ugali to stretch a household’s food until payday.
How long does Sukuma wiki take to make?
Sukuma wiki takes 15 min of preparation and 20 min of cooking. The recipe makes 4 servings as a side. It is rated easy to make.
What can I substitute in Sukuma wiki?
Yes, within limits. No collards: cavolo nero is the closest in texture, then kale. Cut whichever you use much finer than feels natural. A stock cube such as Royco is standard in Kenyan kitchens; use a vegetable one, or 1 tsp of soy sauce, for depth.
What is the most important thing to get right in Sukuma wiki?
Do not drown it. This is a braise in a small amount of tomato and water, not a boiled green, and the finished dish should be glossy rather than soupy.
