Collard green, a cruciferous vegetable belongs to the same family as Kale, Broccoli, Brussel Sprouts and Cabbage. Researchers say that cruciferous vegetables help reduce the risk of cancer. Collard greens are rich in vital vitamins like A,B-6,C & K and essential minerals like Iron, Calcium & Magnesium. Eating Collard green gives you shiny skin, dense hair, healthy nail, stronger bones, hale heart(by lowering bad cholesterol & taking care of blood pressure) and most importantly, healthy immune system. Collard greens are very high in dietary fiber and hence it will be lil chewy. This tastes close to our agathi keerai(link) but Collard greens weren’t bitter like agathi. If you are living abroad, do try their locally grown greens and veggies in our Indian style 😉 Click here to try Asparagus Stir fry(link), Kale Vadai(link), Kale Molagootal(link), Kale stir fry(link), Spinach Mash(link).
Collard Greens Stir fry Recipe – Stepwise pics follow the below printable description:
- Collard greens - 1 bunch or 12 leaves
- Coconut oil - 2 tsp
- Mustard seeds - ¼ tsp
- Urad dal - 1 tsp
- Dry red chillies - 3 to 5 as required
- Garlic - 3 medium-sized cloves
- Onion - 1 big
- Asafoetida - generous pinch
- Salt - as required
- Water - ¼ cup
- Grated coconut - ⅓ cup tightly packed
- Take each Collard leaf, cut out the middle thick stalk and separate the leaf.
- Discard the stalks and save the leaves. Now, let's wash the leaves. Take the leaves in a big bowl, add water and ½ tsp turmeric powder.
- Add a tbsp each of Kosher salt and lime juice. Keep the leaves soaked in this water for 5 mins.
- After 5 mins, wash the leaves and pour out the water. Again wash them twice or thrice using fresh water. Now, wash the cutting pad and place a leaf on it. First fold the leaf as shown.
- Again roll the leaf from the centre towards the corners. Now cut them into vertical strips.
- Cut in the centre and collect all the strips together. Now, it will be easier to chop them finely.
- Repeat this for every leaf. If you have a bigger & sharper knife, you shall fold 2 to 3 leaves together and do the same process for faster chopping. Chop 1 big onion and 3 medium-sized garlic cloves.
- In a dry pan, add 2 tsp coconut oil. Once hot, add ¼ tsp Mustard seeds. Once spluttered, add 1 tsp urad dal and 3 to 5 broken dry red chillies(discard the seeds & add). Once urad dal starts to change color, add crushed garlic and give a quick stir.
- Add chopped onion, generous pinch of asafoetida and lil salt just for onion.
- Once onions are fried well, add chopped Collard greens and fry for a min in medium flame and let the leaves wilt/shrink.
- Add ¼ cup water and cook open in medium flame for 10 mins. Add salt when it is 80% cooked(around 7th minute).
- Once the greens are cooked well and if you still have some water left, cook in high flame till it becomes dry. Finally, add ⅓ cup grated coconut, give a quick stir and switch off. Immediately, transfer to a serving bowl.
2.Collard greens will be lil chewy just like our Agathi keerai poriyal(link).
3.As with any greens,
do not close and cook
do not cook longer than 10 mins
do not add salt before the greens are cooked
add less salt as greens do not require more salt. You shall taste and add more(if required) towards the end.
Preparation – How to make Collard Greens Stir fry ?
1.Take each Collard leaf, cut out the middle thick stalk and separate the leaf.
2.Discard the stalks and save the leaves. Now, let’s wash the leaves. Take the leaves in a big bowl, add water and 1/2 tsp turmeric powder.
3.Add a tbsp each of Kosher salt and lime juice. Keep the leaves soaked in this water for 5 mins.
4.After 5 mins, wash the leaves and pour out the water. Again wash them twice or thrice using fresh water. Now, wash the cutting pad and place a leaf on it. First fold the leaf as shown.
5.Again roll the leaf from the centre towards the corners. Now cut them into vertical strips.
6.Cut in the centre and collect all the strips together. Now, it will be easier to chop them finely.
7.Repeat this for every leaf. If you have a bigger & sharper knife, you shall fold 2 to 3 leaves together and do the same process for faster chopping. Chop 1 big onion and 3 medium-sized garlic cloves.
8.In a dry pan, add 2 tsp coconut oil. Once hot, add 1/4 tsp Mustard seeds. Once spluttered, add 1 tsp urad dal and 3 to 5 broken dry red chillies(discard the seeds & add). Once urad dal starts to change color, add crushed garlic and give a quick stir.
9.Add chopped onion, generous pinch of asafoetida and lil salt just for onion.
10.Once onions are fried well, add chopped Collard greens and fry for a min in medium flame and let the leaves wilt/shrink.
11.Add 1/4 cup water and cook open in medium flame for 10 mins. Add salt when it is 80% cooked(around 7th minute). 
12.Once the greens are cooked well and if you still have some water left, cook in high flame till it becomes dry. Finally, add 1/3 cup grated coconut, give a quick stir and switch off. Immediately, transfer to a serving bowl.
Goes well with any veg meal like drumstick sambar(link), Pumpkin Samabr(link) or any tamarind-based curry(link).
Tips/Tricks in making Collard greens stir fry:
- You shall replace big onion with a handful of chopped small onions for more taste & nutrition.
- Collard greens will be lil chewy just like our Agathi keerai poriyal(link).
- As with any greens,
- do not close and cook
- do not cook longer than 10 mins
- do not add salt before the greens are cooked
- add less salt as greens do not require more salt. You shall taste and add more(if required) towards the end.
Can we replace normal salt instead of kosher for washing?
Yes, you can..
Thank you