Step 1: Preparing Your Mise en Place
- 3 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
- 1-1" piece fresh ginger, roughly chopped
- 3 shallots, roughly chopped
- 1 red or green Thai chile, roughly chopped
- 3/4 tsp turmeric
- 1 large fresh lemongrass
- 1 lb collard greens, stemmed and cut into 1/2' strips
- 1 tbsp palm sugar (or sugar of choice)
- 1-14 oz can coconut milk
To start, place the garlic, ginger, shallots, chile and turmeric into a food processor. Blend until a thick paste forms — if needed, add a tablespoon or so of water, if the mixture seems too thick.
For the lemongrass, trim a bit off of the root end and then peel away and tough outer leaves. Using a mallet, smash the lemongrass and then tie it into a knot.
Lastly, prepare the collards and gather the sugar and coconut milk and set aside.
Step 2: Cooking the Dish
- 2 tbsp peanut or coconut oil
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
To cook the dish, heat a large skillet (or other appropriate-sized pot), over medium low heat. Once hot, add the oil, followed by the paste and the lemongrass.
Let cook for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the mixture becomes very fragrant — stirring often, to ensure the mixture does not burn.
Next, add the sugar, salt and half of the coconut milk. Bring this mixture to a simmer, over medium heat. Then add the collard greens — depending on the size of pan used, you may need to add the greens in batches. Cover the greens with a lid and let cook for 45 mins to an hour, or until the collards are tender (or until cooked to your liking).
As the collards cook, check them to see that they are not becoming too dry. You may need to add a touch more coconut milk and/or water. Ultimately, how much liquid you add will depend on a few things, but mostly on how “soupy” you want the final dish to be.
Once done, remove the lemongrass and season with salt and pepper to taste, before serving.