Sauteed Spicy Sukuma Wiki

Did you know that the literal translation of ‘sukuma wiki’ is to “push the week”? It surely lives up to its name because I last wrote about sukuma wiki close to two years ago. Back then we had planted a lot and always harvested close to 50 kg every week! This year when we did plant sukuma, the sun beat it so hard we thought it was never going to thrive. But sukuma wiki is a survivor. With over 3 months of sun  beating it up, it still looks so green and vibrant after just a week of rainfall. You can read more about it here and its health benefits here.

Sukuma wiki is always mostly served alongside posho. Any East African will agree with me. Cooking sukuma wiki is not as hard as it seems. In fact it is one of the easiest vegetables to cook. Today I am sharing with you one of the easiest  and common ways to cook this vegetable.

What you will need:

Two (or more) bunches of sukuma wiki

2 Large tomatoes, chopped

1 Large onion, thinly chopped

Ginger, grated

Salt

Chilli oil

Oil

 

Observations:

1. I  usually prefer the sukuma wiki to still have a crunchy raw feel. If you want it more tender, cook it a little longer.
2. Tomatoes add a tangy sour taste to the sukuma wiki. To reduce the sourness, sprinkle in some sugar.

Method

1. Thinly cut sukuma wiki and set aside.
2. On high fire, place pan with oil and let it get hot.  Add ginger and onions and let them fry till almost golden. Add tomatoes, chilli oil  and salt and stir. Let the tomatoes cook till tender.
3. Add sukuma wiki and fold in well. Let it cook for 5-7 minutes or until it turns a bright green color.
4. Remove from fire. Garnish  with  thinly sliced onions and crushed nuts or simsim and serve with posho.

 

Let me know in the comments below how you prepare your sukuma wiki.

🙂

Sophie