Callaloo Recipe
Callaloo is a vibrant, healthy, and fresh way of cooking leafy green vegetables that bring the taste of the islands straight to your table. Smokey bacon and spicy peppers make it a family favorite. Hashtag: quick, easy, and delicious!
Are you looking for a tasty way to incorporate more healthy greens into your diet? Then, this flavorful callaloo recipe is just what the doctor ordered. Plus, you don’t need fancy ingredients to make your healthy greens taste amazing.
If you’ve never heard of this amazing vegetable (also called calaloo or kallaloo), you don’t know what you’re missing. This green leafy vegetable is popular in the Caribbean (especially Jamaica) and other regions. In the U.S., you can usually find these tasty greens at Caribbean and Asian markets.
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Content… What Makes It Different? |
What Makes Callaloo Different from Other Greens?
Technically, callaloo is either amaranth or taro leaves. However, other green leafy plants are called callaloo, depending on where in the Caribbean. So that’s one difference, but they definitely have that classic “greens” taste you find in kale, spinach, and collards.
But what makes callaloo stand out is the preparation. Think delicious Caribbean greens prepared in a way that gives them a rich Southern flavor.
How to Make Callaloo
Callaloo
- Prep Callaloo – Remove leaves and soft stems from the callaloo branches. Then, soak them in cold water for 5-10 minutes or until done with prepping. (Photo 1)
- Aromatics – Next, slice the onions, mince the garlic, and dice the tomatoes. Set them aside.
- Chop – Remove the callaloo from the water and chop it. (Photo 2)
- Fry – Place bacon in a saucepan until crispy. Then add the onions, garlic, and fresh thyme, and saute for about a minute. (Photo 3-4)
- Add Flavor – Add the tomatoes, scotch bonnet pepper, and smoked paprika. Sauté for 2-3 more minutes. (Photos 5-6)
- Steam Callaloo – Finally, add the vegetables and salt, mix well, and steam for 6-8 minutes or until the leaves are tender. Add a little water as needed. Adjust seasonings and turn off the heat. (Photo 7)
Plantains
- Peel the plantains with a sharp knife.
- Slice them lengthwise into medium-sized slices and set aside.
- Coat a large frying pan with cooking oil spray. Spray the tops of the plantains with a generous layer of oil spray and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Fry – Let the plantains fry on medium heat, shaking the pan to redistribute them every few minutes. (Photo 8)
- Cook – As the plantains brown, add cooking oil spray, salt, and pepper as needed until they reach the desired color and texture.
- Serve – Remove and serve with callaloo.
Recipe Tips
- This recipe can become vegan. Omit the bacon and add smoked paprika to replace the smokiness. 😉
- Callaloo and saltfish are amazing. Soak salted cod a couple of times, then break it up and add it to the greens.
- If spicy foods aren’t your friend, omit the scotch bonnet pepper. You can replace it with a sweet banana or bell pepper.
- This delicious green vegetable can be hard to find but easy to grow. Even if you just have a patio or room with lots of sunlight, you only need a pot, dirt, sunlight, and callaloo seeds.
Make-Ahead and Storage Instructions
You can make callaloo the day before with no problem. However, fried plantains taste much better fresh, so do those just before serving. Follow the recipe instructions for the greens, and then store them in an airtight container in the fridge.
Store leftover callaloo in the fridge for 3-5 days in an airtight container. Reheat the callaloo on the stove on medium heat until warmed through, or zap it in the microwave. To reheat the plantains, pop them in the oven for a few minutes at 350℉ (180℃).👌
What to Serve With Callaloo
Traditionally, you serve callaloo with boiled dumplings, roasted breadfruit, or fried plantains. Jamaican rice and peas are a perfect main dish if you want to go almost meatless.
You can also serve it with anything that goes well with collard greens, such as skillet cornbread and fried chicken. And don’t forget the sweet iced tea. 😉
More Tasty Jamaican Recipes to Try
By Imma
Watch How to Make It
[adthrive-in-post-video-player video-id=”7UPOR1bC” upload-date=”2019-11-08T03:52:07.000Z” name=”Callaloo (Jamaican-style)” description=”Callaloo Jamaican Style – A vibrant, healthy and fresh way of cooking leafy vegetables. Quick, easy and delicious!”]
This blog post was originally published in August 2014 and has been updated with additional tips, new photos, and a video
Callaloo Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 1.5-pound bunch (680g) callaloo (or kale or collards)
- 2 thick strips bacon, cut in pieces
- 3-4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 medium onion
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 sprig fresh thyme
- 1 fresh tomato
- 1 whole scotch bonnet pepper
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 3-4 ripe plantains
- cooking spray (or very little cooking oil)
Instructions
- Cut leaves and soft stems from the callaloo branches, then soak in a bowl of cold water for about 5-10 minutes or until finished with prep.
- Proceed to slice the onions, mince the garlic, and dice the tomatoes. Set aside.
- Remove callaloo from the water and cut it into chunks.
- Place bacon in a saucepan and cook until crispy. Then add onions, garlic, and thyme, and stir for a minute or more.
- Add tomatoes, scotch bonnet pepper, and smoked paprika. Sauté for 2-3 more minutes.
- Finally, add the greens and salt, mix well, and steam for about 6-8 minutes or until leaves are tender. Add a bit of water as needed, adjust seasonings, and turn off the heat.
- Using a sharp knife, cut both ends off the plantains. That will make it easier to grab the skin of the plantains. Then slit a shallow line down the long seam of the plantain, but peel only as deep as the peel. Remove plantain peel by pulling it back.
- Slice the plantain into medium size lengthwise slices and set aside.
- Coat a large frying pan with cooking oil spray or drizzle a bit of cooking oil. Spray the tops of the plantains with a generous layer of oil spray and sprinkle with salt and freshly ground pepper.
- Let the plantains fry on medium heat, shaking the frying pan to redistribute them every few minutes.
- As the plantains brown, continue to add more cooking oil spray, salt, and pepper (if needed) until they have reached the desired color and texture.
- Remove and serve with callaloo.
Tips & Notes:
- Crisp, fresh greens taste the best. Avoid wilted leaves, brown or yellow edges, blemishes, and slime. They should smell sweet, not sour.
- Callaloo can be hard to find, but it is super easy to grow. Even if you just have a patio or room with lots of sunlight, all you need is a pot, dirt, sunlight, and seeds.
- Here’s how to make peeling the plantains easy: Start by cutting both ends off the plantain. Next, slit a shallow line down the plantain’s long seam and peel by gently pulling the skin back.
- Please remember that the nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary significantly based on the products used in the recipe.
Last night I hosted a Jamaican themed dinner for about 20 people. We go to JA yearly to work in Children’s homes and and this was a mtg to recruit more volunteers to go w/us next time.
I made your festival, callaloo (using collards,kale and spinach) mango colelsaw and plantains. I followed directions exactly as written and everything was absolutely perfect! I already had a tried and true recipe for chicken so didn’t want to try a new one with so many people but next time I will use one of your recipes. Thank you so much! So glad I found your site and can’t wait to try more recipes. Bless you!
Yay! So happy to hear this . Thanks Kellie
I bought it for the first time at a health store, just because it had nothing else except lettuce and pineapple. They call them (callaloo) vleeta in Greece. Now I went with my husband at his friends farm and they give me a huge hug of callaloo to take home. I am so happy! I just fry onions, garlic in a small amount of coconut oil and put in callaloo some tomatoes and eat it. I tries raw but dam, it’s bitter as raw. And i wonder if it helps with iron deficiency anemia because it does remind me of spinach. I will go look.
Thanks fro sharing your version with us. Feel free to share your findings with us. Thanks!
I had callaloo in Jamaica, lobed it. I heard of it from Dr. Sebi. Was at the market yesterday and found some. Cooking it now and using your recipe. I altered it a bit as I do not eat pork. I taste delicious. Thank!
Awesome! So happy it worked out well for you. Thanks for the feedback!
I made this for a friend today. I couldn’t find the pepper it called for, so I used a habenero pepper. I don’t think it was nearly the same, but it still tasted pretty good. I can’t wait to see what my friend things (she’s been craving callaloo).
Awesome! Can’t wait either. Thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts
This was delicious! Everyone had secounds! Two things suprised me with this recipe: Using collard greens it made a lot more that 3 to 4 servings. Second, the Scotch Bonnet pepper did not spice up the dish the way I expected. I may cut it next time. –Will definintly have again!! Thank you!
Awesome! Thanks for taking the time to provide me with feedback . Greatly appreciated.
Do you take out the scotch bonnet pepper before serving? I see you put it in whole…
It depends to whom am serving it to! Some people like to eat it and some don’t. But I always keep it just in case.
Need your Callaloo
Smiles
You can have it!!
What are you confused about the name or the dish?
The actual plants is known as Callaloo, pair it with anything and it becomes ,e.g. Callaloo and cod Fish so it is versatile can be eaten by itself also. In Trinidad they have a dish named callaloo which is made from a different greens
Thanks for taking the time to share this with us.
Wow. This looks amazing! I will definitely modify it for our vegan challenge next month. Those plantains look de-li-cious.
Thanks Amber!
I had Callaloo when I was in Jamaica.. It was so good, I decided to eat it whenever they served it. I don’t care for spicy foods, and not really fond of spinach, so I am going to try to fix this with kale, garlic, onion, etc.
You can come and cook for me anytime!
I love love love this method of preparing kale. I’ve cooked this twice already 🙂
I love collard greens so I would love to try callaloo. It is so interesting because the way that you prepare callaloo is similar the way Brazilians prepare sauteed Collard Greens a la Mineira with bacon and garlic. Like ours, your dish has soul!!!!
Thanks Denise- it definitely has soul.
Never heard of callaloo before… you learn something new every day! Definitely going to be trying the recipe out, I am always looking for new recipes to use Kale!
Whoa, I have NEVER heard of callaloo! I wonder if they have it at my international market.. I am ALWAYS up for some new greens!
Cheryl, they might just have it . Be sure to ask the Store Manager .
It’s the best.
If you have land, amaranth is easy to grow. Its wild or feral forms are pigweed. However there are colorful forms of Amaranthus tricolor (“Joseph’s Coat,” “Molten Magma,” “Summer Poinsettia”) that would be nice in any flower garden. However they will be weedy if you let them ripen seeds. They will also color the cooking water, but these pigments (same as in beetroot) are edible, so no worries. It is a known nitrate accumulator so don’t overfertilize. Amaranth is pretty similar to spinach or orach, so you can substitute those if you live in a chilly area or don’t garden. It has nothing to do with kale (a headless cabbage, basically milder flavored and more crinkly version of collards), so I am surprised to see it called “calaloo kale” here.
Hi Erik! Really appreciate you taking time out to share this with us . Thanks and God Bless!
Girl, you are making me homesick. I want some callaloo NOW!
Sara, I hear you!