This Coconut Creamed Greens recipe is a wonderful way to use up copious amounts of tender greens, which is a very good thing for gardeners like us. Baby kale, Swiss chard, beet greens, mustard greens, spinach, whatever you have. Don’t let it go to waste!
There’s not a hint of bitterness in this dish, just gorgeous flavors, textures, and aromas mingling together quite happily. It’s mellow enough for guests. We typically serve Coconut Creamed Greens over rice. Adding shrimp or fish turns this into an elegant supper.
Coconut milk and cilantro get the attention in this dish, but the key ingredient is the fish sauce. If you’ve never used fish sauce in your cooking you don’t know what you’re missing. I bet you’ve snuck a few anchovies into a pasta sauce to give it more depth. And how often do you turn to Worcestershire sauce to add a bit of umami? Fish sauce is like that. You may not recognize that it’s there, but it will elevate any dish to something that’s complex and compelling. Fish sauce is a fermented food, so to enjoy the health benefits, you don’t want to cook it further. In this recipe, I stir it in at the end, off the heat. You’re welcome!
Coconut Creamed Greens
Ingredients
- 1-2 pounds tender greens (baby kale, Swiss chard, beet and/or mustard greens, spinach, whatever you have – just avoid leathery greens like collards)
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 6 garlic cloves
- 1 large onion
- 1 jalapeno
- 1 knob ginger
- salt
- 1 T mustard seeds
- 1/2 t turmeric
- 2 cups coconut milk
- 1 t sugar
- 2 T fish sauce
- 1/2 cup cilantro
Instructions
- Prepare the greens, the veg, and the cilantro – Remove the ribs and stems from the greens and toss them in the compost. Baby greens can be used as is. Cut the leaves into 1-inch thick strips. Set aside. Crush the garlic, finely chop the onion, thinly slice the jalapeno, smash the ginger, and chop the cilantro.
- Sautee the aromatics – Heat oil over medium high heat. Add garlic and cook, stirring often, until golden brown. Add onion, jalapeno, and ginger; season with salt. Cook, stirring often until onion is softened. Add mustard seeds and turmeric, and cook, stirring to evenly distribute, until fragrant.
- Cook the greens – Add coconut milk and sugar to the pan and bring to a simmer. Add greens a handful at a time, letting them wilt before each addition. Cook, tossing occasionally, until greens are tender and the mixture looks creamy. Take your time with this step – depending on they variety of greens you're using (collards, for example), it may take some time for them to soften and become tender. If it's taking some time, you could add a wee bit of water to keep the sauce alive, and cover the pan to further steam the greens. When the greens are ready, stir in the fish sauce off the heat. Fish out the knob of ginger and discard it.
- Garnish and serve – Top the greens with the cilantro and serve.
Notes
