Gomen
Gomen is the collard green dish that shows up on nearly every Ethiopian platter, usually cooked in niter kibbeh, a spiced clarified butter. Here the greens braise instead in their own steam and a cup of water, and the long simmer does what the butter used to: it softens the leaf all the way through and lets the vegetable's own sugars come forward. Garlic, ginger, and turmeric go in early enough to bloom in the pot's residual moisture, so by the time the lemon hits at the end the dish tastes rounded rather than flat. Serve it next to a lentil stew and an intact whole grain, the way it is eaten at home.
Ingredients
- 1 lb Collard greens, stemmed and sliced into ribbons
- 1 Yellow onion, thinly sliced
- 4 cloves Garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp Ginger, grated
- 1 Serrano, seeded and minced
- 1/2 tsp Turmeric
- 1/2 Lemons, juiced
Method
- Sweat the onion in 3 tablespoons (45 ml) water in a wide, heavy pot over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until soft and turning translucent, about 8 minutes. Let the edges catch a little color; that faint browning is doing the job oil usually does.
- Stir in the garlic, ginger, serrano, and turmeric. Cook for 1 minute, adding a splash more water if the pot goes dry. A minute of direct heat wakes up the turmeric and takes the raw bite off the ginger before the greens arrive.
- Add the collards in two or three batches, stirring each one down before adding the next. A full pound looks unmanageable in the pot for about thirty seconds, then collapses to a third of its volume.
- Pour in 1 cup (240 ml) water, cover, and drop the heat to low. Simmer, stirring every 10 minutes or so, until the collards are fully tender and a deep, matte green, 30 to 35 minutes. This is the technique that carries the whole dish: a long, slow braise breaks down the tough leaf fiber and lets the greens' own sugars concentrate, building a savory depth that a quick saute never reaches.
- Uncover for the last 5 minutes so the last of the liquid reduces to a light coating instead of a puddle in the bowl.
- Take the pot off the heat and stir in the lemon juice. Taste before serving; the acid is what makes the greens taste seasoned even with no salt at all.
Nutrition
Estimated per serving: 70 calories, 3 g protein, 6 g fiber, 25 mg sodium. Computed from USDA FoodData Central reference values for the main ingredients. This is an approximation, not a laboratory measurement. How these are computed.
Cost per serving is estimated from US national-average retail prices for cheap staple forms, using BLS dried-bean prices and USDA produce prices. Prices vary by store and season, so treat it as a guide, not a receipt. How this is computed.
