This dish is redolent with the fragrance and flavors of traditional Ethiopian cooking where niter kebbeh, a spiced ghee (clarified butter), and dry pot cheese are used. We think ghee is best to create authentic taste and texture for this dish, but butter works and coconut oil adds another dimension of flavor.
If you prefer to make this recipe vegan, just skip making the spiced cheese, use coconut oil, and add all the spices to the sautéing onions.
Serves 4
Time: 30 minutes
1 cup farmer’s cheese or drained cottage cheese*
½ teaspoon ground cardamom
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground cloves (less to taste)
1 large garlic clove, pressed or minced
½ teaspoon salt
10 cups chopped kale, collards, and/or chard leaves
2 tablespoons ghee, butter, or coconut oil
2 cups diced onions
Salt
2 large garlic cloves, pressed or minced
1 tablespoon peeled and grated fresh ginger
⅓ teaspoon minced fresh habanero, or ½ teaspoon jalapeño, or more to taste
¼ cup water
Freshly ground black pepper
*Farmer’s cheese, made on farms all over the world, especially in the Middle Eastern and European countries, is a mild-flavored fresh cheese that can be eaten almost immediately after it is made and dried. Friendship brand Farmer’s Cheese comes in 7.5-ounce packages and is a delicious product, often shelved near cottage cheese, yogurt, or specialty cheeses. If you can’t get farmer’s cheese, drain cottage cheese in a sieve for about 20 minutes (discard the liquid) before making the spiced cheese.
Make the spiced cheese: Mix together the cheese, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, garlic, and salt and set aside while you prepare the greens.
Make the greens: In a large skillet or pot on medium-low heat, warm the ghee and cook the onions with a sprinkling of salt for about 10 minutes, or until softened. Add the garlic, ginger, and hot pepper and cook for a couple of minutes. Increase the heat to medium and add the chopped greens in batches: toss frequently and as the leaves wilt, add more. Add the water, cover, and cook until the greens are soft but still bright green. Season with additional salt and black pepper to taste.
Combine the greens and spiced cheese in a serving bowl, or serve by spreading the spiced cheese on a platter and piling the greens on top.
Ethiopian Greens makes a wonderful meal with Simple Seasoned Tofu and Cracked Freekeh with Dried Cherries and Almonds, or serve it with Cashew-Crusted Chickpea Burgers and Jeweled Rice.
Ghee is a type of clarified butter made by long simmering. During the simmer, the milk solids caramelize, making ghee nutty-tasting and aromatic. Simmering removes the moisture, and straining removes the residue of solids, giving ghee a high smoke point (482°F). Ghee originated in India and is used in the cuisines of India, Nepal, the Middle East, and North Africa.
Ghee doesn’t need to be refrigerated, but light and moisture degrade it, so store it in an airtight container in the dark; it will keep for a couple of months at room temperature. Unopened in the refrigerator, ghee will keep for up to a year, but if you’ll use it often, don’t keep it in the fridge because when you open the container to warm air, water will condense on the ghee.
It is purported to have many health benefits and is high in vitamins A, D, and E, antioxidants, medium- and short-chain fatty acids, and butyric acid. Many people who are lactose- or casein- intolerant do not react to ghee because the milk solids and imperfections have been removed.