Sukuma Wiki Recipe – This healthy and economical braised collard greens recipe is bursting with flavor and spices. They’re collard greens done right for a perfect weeknight side dish! 💚
You can make these tasty African greens with minimal ingredients or take them over the top with protein and spices. Of course, I went over the top, adding protein, garlic, and spices, including coriander, curry, garlic, and cayenne pepper for some heat. One of the great things about sukuma wiki is how easy it is to customize it.
And while the super greens and the foodie worlds are smitten with kale, not many people realize that collard greens are right up there with kale. They provide vitamins A, C, K, and calcium, and they’re quite tasty, too! A side-by-side comparison even gives collard greens a slight edge. 😉
Another great thing about this recipe for sukuma wiki? Most people love cooking their greens for a prolonged time, but not me. This recipe comes together quickly! It takes 7-10 minutes, tops!
Content…What Is It? |
What Is Sukuma Wiki?
Sukuma wiki is a rustic African dish enjoyed in many parts of East Africa. Kenya and Tanzania are just a couple. The Swahili phrase means to stretch the week, which it does quite well, especially when paired with ugali, a cornmeal fufu.
What You Need
- Collards – Get a nice fresh bunch of collards for this recipe. Or, substitute kale if you must. 😜
- Protein – Chopped or ground beef or chicken can turn this side of greens into the main course. But it’s optional.
- Veggies – Tomato, garlic, and onion add loads of flavor and variety of texture, too.
- Spices – Smoked paprika, coriander, curry or turmeric, cayenne pepper, bouillon powder, and lemon juice make the perfect spice combo, IMO.
How to Make Sukuma Wiki
- Saute – Heat the oil in a medium-large skillet, add onions and garlic, and sauté for 2-3 minutes. Stir constantly to prevent burning.
- Base – Add the tomatoes, curry powder, coriander, and paprika. Stir with a heavy wooden spoon for about 2 minutes.
- Meat – Add ground or minced meat, if using, and the bouillon powder. Stir well and simmer for about 5 minutes.
- Cook Collards – Next, throw in the chopped collards, cayenne pepper, and lemon juice.
- Simmer – Continue cooking for another 5-10 minutes until flavors blend and the greens cook to your preference.
- Serve – Adjust the seasonings to taste, including salt and pepper. Turn off the heat and serve!
Recipe Variations
- Make it vegan. Skip the meat and use vegetable bouillon powder for totally plant-based goodness.
- Make it spicy! Add a jalapeno or other spicy pepper to the sauteed vegetables and some crushed red pepper. 🌶️
- Protein swaps. Don’t limit yourself to ground beef or chicken. Shrimp, sausage, bacon, or any other meat tastes delish in this dish. 😋
Tips and Tricks
- Select fresh greens. Choose collard greens that are fresh, vibrant, and crisp. Avoid wilted or yellowing leaves, as they may be past their prime and turn bitter.
- Clean your greens thoroughly. Collard greens can be gritty, so be sure to clean them thoroughly. Submerge them in cold water and swish them around to remove sand or debris. Repeat until the water runs clear.
- Remove tough stems. Collard greens have tough stems that can be fibrous and chewy. Remove them by folding the leaves in half and slicing along the stem to remove it. Or strip the leaves off the stems with your hands.
- Cut them uniformly for easy eating. After removing the stems, stack several leaves on top of each other, roll them into a tight bundle, and slice them crosswise into thin strips for even cooking.
Make-Ahead Instructions
This deliciousness is a great make-ahead dish. Just let it cool and refrigerate it in an airtight container for 1-2 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Serving and Storage Instructions
Serve sukuma wiki hot as a main dish or side.
Refrigerate leftover collard greens for 3-5 days in an airtight container. Reheat them in a pan on the stove over medium heat until heated through. You may need to add a couple of tablespoons of broth or water if it seems too dry.
What Goes With Sukuma Wiki
For a traditional African meal, serve this dish with ugali. Sukuma Wiki also goes great with classic Southern dishes like fried chicken livers, black-eyed peas, and skillet cornbread. 🤤
More African-Inspired Recipes to Try
This blog post was originally published in January 2015 and has been updated with additional tips and delicious-looking photos
Sukuma Wiki
Ingredients
- 1 bunch kale or collard greens
- 1-2 cups (225-450g) minced beef or chicken (ground beef works too but it's optional)
- 3 medium tomatoes, diced
- 1-2 teaspoons (5-10g) minced garlic
- 1 large white onion
- 2 tablespoons (30ml) canola oil or more as needed (any cooking oil)
- 1 tablespoon (8g) smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon (1g) ground coriander
- ½ teaspoon (1g) curry powder or turmeric
- ½ teaspoon (1g) cayenne pepper or more
- 1 tablespoon (15ml) lemon juice about ½ a lemon
- 1 tablespoon (10g) bouillon powder or 1 cube
Instructions
- In a medium – large skillet, add oil, onions, and garlic, and sauté for 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly to prevent burning.
- Then add tomatoes, curry, coriander, and paprika, and continue stirring with a heavy wooden spoon for about 2 minutes.
- Add minced meat and bouillon powder; stir until ingredients are thoroughly combined. Simmer for 5 minutes or more.
- Toss in the chopped collards, cayenne pepper, and lemon juice. Continue cooking for another 5-10 minutes until flavors have blended and greens are cooked to preferred doneness.
- Adjust seasonings, salt, and pepper, and turn off the heat. Let it cool slightly. Serve with ugali for a classic meal.
Tips & Notes:
- Select fresh greens. Choose collard greens that are fresh, vibrant, and crisp. Avoid wilted or yellowing leaves, as they may be past their prime and turn bitter.
- Clean your greens thoroughly. Collard greens can be gritty, so be sure to clean them thoroughly. Submerge them in cold water and swish them around to remove sand or debris. Repeat until the water runs clear.
- Remove tough stems. Collard greens have tough stems that can be fibrous and chewy. Remove them by folding the leaves in half and slicing along the stem to remove it. Or strip the leaves off the stems with your hands.
- Cut them uniformly for easy eating. After removing the stems, stack several leaves on top of each other, roll them into a tight bundle, and slice them crosswise into thin strips for even cooking.
- Please remember that the nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary significantly based on the products used in the recipe.
Niki Holmes says
I was so pleased to find this recipe here! I visited Kenya many times for work in years gone by and miss it so much! I Always enjoyed having home cooked food with friends there and Sukuma Wiki – (which friends would teasing me call- Squeeze the Week) was a great favourite. So tonight I am cooking Goat Curry, Sukuma Wiki, rice and meali meal roti for Valentines Meal. I hope it will be enjoyed!
ImmaculateBites says
Hi Niki! Hope everyone enjoyed it .
LoveBmyBeauuti says
This was sooooo Bomb.. I didn’t use any meat, but it was still sooooooo good.
ImmaculateBites says
Awesome! Thanks for the feedback!
Francesca says
Hi. Clarifications on your recipe:
1) 1 teaspoon smoked tablespoons paprika — is it 1 teaspoon or 1 tablespoon?
2) ½ juiced about 1 tablespoon — did you mean 1 tablespoon of lemon? i can’t find lemon in your ingredients but it’s in the instructions.
3) Where do i put the tomatoes? It’s not in the instructions. Also, how should i slice it?
Thanks.
ImmaculateBites says
Thanks for bringing this to my attention. Recipe has been updated and rewritten to make it clearer. It’s 1 tablespoon paprika and diced tomatoes.
Nullacia Willayi says
This recipe right here is the truth! Made it with kale, with collard greens, with a combo of both and it tastes AMAZING EVERY SINGLE TIME. Also tried with shrimp and tripe…… you just can’t go wrong. This is how I love my recipes! Thanks 🙂
Angel says
Greetings Imma,
I did it!! A couple days ago, I made this and the Ugali. I could only get ground pork as the meat. Still, it was delicious! I thank you for helping me to try something different in this cuisine that I love so much.
ImmaculateBites says
Greetings Angel! Glad to hear it worked out well for you. Thanks for taking the time to let me know .
Junger says
For me I cook it differently now that am getting acid reflect I don’t put tomatoes and I cook my meat separately so I can have the soup from the meat accompany my collard and fufu.olive oil garlic,onion,then collard greens spice and a little water.i use to harte this when I was young especially when we never heard money to buy meat.now I really appreciate it
ImmaculateBites says
Hi Junger! Some foods just bring back those fond childhood memories. And make it taste even better when we are older. Happy Cooking!!!
Nataie says
Greetings from Australia – I love this recipe since finding it…. after watching many sukuma wiki and ugali vids on youtube I set my sights on a version of it to make for myself,,,it always looked so good.
I love your recipe as a base and I have modified it here and there on different days of the week depending on how I feel. I always use Kale and Silverbeet as that is more prevalent and easier to find here, same same, as long as its healthy greens thats what really matters. I also add fresh bean sprouts from time to time to up my vegetable intake and add a bit more texture, and chillis also.
This is a nice healthy mid week dish that always satisfies no matter what. You can either eat alone or pair with rice if carbs are your thing. I frequently grate fresh turmeric into it and sometimes add hemp seeds or chia. There is so mcuh you can do with it if you want to superfood it up !! Thank You
ImmaculateBites says
Greetings Natale!
Thank you so much for your comprehensive feedback. Those are some nice additions there . Will definitely use of the tips when making it.
Rei says
Just tried this recipe for dinner, so delicious!!
ImmaculateBites says
Awesome! Glad to hear.
Andi | greenbasket.me says
The recipe says kale but the photo looks like collard greens to me. I’m in America- maybe they are called different names?
ImmaculateBites says
It is collard greens. However, you can also sub with kale.
Susanne niba says
Thanks for this recipe !very healthy way to keep all the vitamin in check
Mo says
I made this a few weeks back and was amazing. Gonna do it again tomorrow but this time gonna add a bit more of the spices as I couldn’t get enough of the flavor which for me was so exotic. oh yeah my ugali came out tasting like corn grits. Is that normal? Thanks for sharing.
ImmaculateBites says
Hi Mo, glad to hear you enjoyed the sukuma wiki.
It depends on the type of corn meal you used- make sure the corn meal is “fine” in texture. And you really need to cook it for about 20 mins or more.
mizuna says
this was so great! thanks for the recipe!
ImmaculateBites says
Glad you liked it Mizuna.
Floriana Brindle says
Making this tonight!
Nagi@RecipeTin Eats says
Ooh! Now THIS is how to make Kale interesting! I usually stay away from trendy foods, plus kale is usually really expensive here in Australia! It was on special so a got a big bunch and was wondering what INTERESTING food I could make with it. Found it! Thanks as always Imma 🙂
Joyce-Toronto says
Good job Immaculate,
In Kenya, we make the ugali just a little bit more firm. Firm enough to cut it the way you would cake. And yes, we love our sukuma. You did an excellent job preparing it with the coriander.
Am going to refer my husband to the blog next time my husband asks me to make ugali. Btw, its also great when served with butter milk on the side. I add Homo milk to the ugali cos my kids love it like that.
Along with Sukuma, without the beef that is you can add some tilapia, nyama choma (babq).
Overall, very impressed
ImmaculateBites says
Aww Joyce , thank you so much. Love the tips on how to serve and make Ugali! I was thinking adding more ingredients to make it a meal on it’s on. Probably later on. Thanks again Joyce