Gomen Wat - Ethiopian Collard Greens (2024)

FAQs

What is Ethiopian Gomen made of? ›

Ethiopian Collard Greens aka Ye'abasha Gomen- Braised collard greens and kale seasoned with aromatics.

If you purchase whole collard greens from the store, they are usually already in a bunch. For this recipe, you'll need 2 bunches; when the stems are removed, you'll have roughly over 1.5 pounds. This will be enough to serve about 4-5 people.

This might seem like an unusual addition if you're new to making collard greens, but the vinegar adds a welcome tangy note that brightens the dish and balances out the salty, savory flavors. A tablespoon of sugar also helps balance out the greens' potential bitterness.

Collard greens are as much a staple in the African-American community and across the globe as Jasmine rice in the Asian community and world. Collard greens date back to prehistoric time and one of the oldest member of the cabbage family.

Ethiopian cuisine is not only healthy and nutritious, but also a great way to expose children to new flavors and teach them about another part of the world at the same time. What kids will love most about Ethiopian food is that you use your hands — exclusively! Though a tad messy at times, it's the perfect finger food.

The vitamins, minerals, and dietary fiber found in collard greens provide significant health benefits. Dietary fiber is important for helping maintain your digestive health. The soluble fiber in collard greens can help absorb cholesterol before it makes its way into your bloodstream, lowering your cholesterol levels.

Even though including fiber-rich foods in your diet is good for your health, adding too much of it too quickly may cause intestinal gas or bloating. Thus, if you're interested in adding collard greens to your diet, aim to do so gradually, especially if you're not used to eating many high fiber foods.

The most authentic collard greens, in my opinion, are made with smoked ham hocks or bacon. But, as time has passed, society has gotten more health conscious. So, many families began using alternatives such as smoked turkey necks, wings, and tails.

You can eat collard greens raw, but the uncooked leaves tend to be slightly bitter and a bit tough. If you want to try them raw in a salad or smoothie, Feller recommends mixing just a few collard leaves in with a majority of milder greens, like spinach.

Blanch Them

Blanching your greens is key to getting that bitterness level down. Because glucosinolates are water-soluble compounds, a lot of them are leached out into the water, allowing for a less bitter green.

What does baking soda do to collard greens? ›

In the case of collard greens, baking soda's utility is threefold, serving as a flavor enhancer, a tenderizer, and a color protector. Baking soda is an alkali salt possessing the tenderizing and flavor-enhancing properties of regular salt.

Collard greens were one of the few vegetables that African-Americans were allowed to grow for themselves and their families back in slavery time. Even after the Africans were emancipated in the late 1800s cooked greens were a comfort in the African-American culture.

Collard greens are known as sukuma in Swahilli and are one of the most common vegetables in East Africa.

The southern states are primarily responsible for the bulk of production of collard greens in the United States. In fact, South Carolina chose collard greens as its state vegetable and Georgia is the second top producing state for collard greens.

"Injera" is an Amharic term for Ethiopian bread similar to pan cake, made usually from teff. Injera is thin, prepared from teff flour, water and starter (a fluid collected from previously fermented mix) after successive fermentations [1].

Indigenous to Ethiopia, grains such as sorghum, millet, teff, and wheat grow well in the temperate climate and are used in many Ethiopian dishes. Ethiopian cuisine today is a blend of introduced spices and food items coupled with indigenous grains and proteins.

Traditional ingredients

Berbere, a combination of powdered chili pepper and other spices (cardamom, fenugreek, coriander, cloves, ginger, nutmeg, cumin and allspice) is an important ingredient used to add flavor to many varied dishes like chicken stews and baked fish dishes.

An essential part of Eritrean and Ethiopian cuisine, its primary ingredient is powdered chickpeas or broad bean meal and often prepared with the addition of minced onions, garlic and, depending upon regional variation, ground ginger or chopped tomatoes and chili-peppers.