We are celebrating African Health and Heritage Week (February 1-7) this week. Part of our African heritage takes pride in our ability to grow our own food, making the concept of “eating local” really personal .So the urban farmer in me has these wonderful greens growing in her garden …… my father would be so proud! He grew greens in the backyard and would literally get annoyed when we would try to serve him a meal without his beloved “veggie”. Known by various names, these leafy greens are a staple on many African plates. In East Africa, they are known as ”Sukuma Wiki” which means “push the week” as that they are served to add bulk to the relish until the end of the week. The varieties are plentiful but the cooking methods are pretty much the same. Either lightly boil then saute, just saute or add to the pot as part of a stew.
But, Sukuma Wiki is not just about adding relish to the plate. It is also a wonderful way to get plenty of nutrients and vitamins while keeping the calorie count reasonable. Most leafy green vegetables are high in fiber, vitamin A, vitamin K, folate, manganese, vitamin C, calcium and iron (especially in the dark green leafy greens (Spinach). One thing to remember is that the darker the leaf, the better the nutritional content. Here is my version of sukuma wiki:
The fruits of my labor….fresh from the garden
You will need sliced greens, 1/4 onion and a tomato. (Once again, no measurements here, use your instincts). In general, greens are sliced thin, my aunt used to tell me that since the pieces of meat were big we could not serve big chunks of veggies.
Season with salt and pepper and allow to cook until veggies are soft.
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- African Cuisine: Nyama Choma (deadtoenails.com)
