We made this creamy-seeming vegan dish the first time simply because we thought the combination of tropical flavors would be delicious—and they are. If it has a regional influence, that would be East African. The sauce is smooth, and within the sauce, the tender deep green collards have a smooth, somewhat slippery mouthfeel. Chopped roasted peanuts sprinkled on top add a little crunch.
Collards and kale are highly rated nutritionally. They are good sources of calcium, more so than other greens.
Serves 4
Time: about 35 minutes
2 cups water
¼ teaspoon salt
4 firmly packed cups chopped collard leaves
⅓ cup peanut butter
⅓ cup coconut milk
⅓ cup chopped scallions
1 cup pineapple chunks (fresh or canned)
2 tablespoons white or apple cider vinegar
½ teaspoon salt
1 to 3 teaspoons hot sauce (optional)
½ cup chopped roasted peanuts (optional)
In a covered 2-quart saucepan, bring the water and salt to a boil. Meanwhile, rinse the collards and strip the leaves off the stems (sometimes that’s easiest done by laying each leaf flat on a cutting board and cutting close along each side of the main stem). Stack the leaves and roughly chop. When the water boils, add half the chopped collards and stir until just wilted, then add the rest of the collards and stir until you can poke all the leaves into the water. Simmer for about 5 minutes, or until just tender.
Meanwhile, make the sauce: Purée all the sauce ingredients in a blender. If the mixture is too stiff to blend easily, add a tablespoon or two of hot water from the cooking collards.
When the collards are tender, drain them, reserving about a cup of the pot liquor. In the saucepan, combine the collards and the sauce and bring to a simmer. If it becomes too thick and might scorch, add some of the collard cooking water. Simmer for 5 minutes.
Serve topped with chopped peanuts, if you like.
Use kale in place of collards.
To make a meal, these saucy collards are excellent on a bed of rice, millet, or other grain and topped with roasted Sweet Potatoes with Bitter Orange Or have them with Jamaican Jerk Tempeh Patties or Black Rice Pilaf.