Dadisi Olutosin’s Recipe

• 2 large bunches of collard greens
• 2 large red onions
• 1-ounce raw ginger
• 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 8 ounces baby portobello mushrooms
• 4 cloves garlic
• 1 tablespoon raw sugar 2 tablespoons sea salt (or to taste)
• 4 tablespoons medium yellow or red curry powder
• 1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
• 8 ounces (1 cup) coconut milk
• 4 ounces chopped roasted peanuts (optional for garnish)
• 2 Roma tomatoes (optional for garnish)

(Optional meat to add precooked pork belly, bacon, ham hocks or smoked turkey necks, chopped or left whole)

Roughly chop both onions, mushrooms, garlic, and ginger. Add olive oil to a 3-to-4-quart pot on medium heat. Let the oil heat up a little bit. (If it starts smoking it’s too hot.) Then add chopped items — sauté until they start to sweat and caramelize. Stir gently with a large wooden spoon while adding salt (to taste), black pepper and curry powder.

Wash and thoroughly clean the collard greens to remove any grit. Cut off the stems but don’t throw them away. Stack the leaves in piles of three-to-four, then roll them tightly. Take your knife and chiffonade the rolls —cut them into strips.

Slowly add the strips of collard greens to the pot, then fold the seasoned vegetables on top. If you’re using meat, add it now. Cook over medium heat.

The moisture in the greens will evaporate from the heat of the water, decreasing their volume.

Once you see steam coming from the pot, your greens are ready for the final step. Gently stir in the coconut milk, then cover the pot and allow to simmer for 30-45 minutes, depending on how tender or tough you want your greens to be.

Serve greens with optional garnishes like sliced or diced raw onions and tomatoes and crushed peanuts. Don’t forget, some good cast-iron skillet buttermilk cornbread goes great with greens.

From ‘African Roots of a Classic Southern Dish’