Dinner

Jamaican-Style Callaloo

Name: Jamaican-Style Callaloo
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 45 min
Cuisine: Jamaican
Ingredients: 1 bunch kale, leaves and soft stems removed, soaked, and cut into chunks; 2 strips bacon; 3 cloves garlic, chopped; 1 medium onion, medium, sliced; 1/2 tsp smoked paprika; 1 sprig thyme; 1 tomato, diced; 1 red pepper; 4 banana; vegetable oil, Splash; salt, to taste; water, as needed; Scotch bonnet pepper, as needed; plantain, peeled and sliced lengthwise, as needed; cooking oil spray, as needed; freshly ground black pepper, freshly ground, to taste

Savory Jamaican-style kale cooked with bacon, aromatics, tomato, pepper, and thyme, served alongside fried plantains.

45 min
300 kcal
Jamaican

Mellowpan tip: Makes 4 servings, so there’s room for leftovers. Plan them into your week.

Get the shopping list

Ingredients

For 4 servings

Steps

Step 1:
Cut the leaves and soft stems from the kale branches.
Step 2:
Soak the kale in a bowl of cold water for about 5–10 minutes, or until the rest of the preparation is finished.
5–10 min
Step 3:
Slice the onion, mince the garlic, and dice the tomato. Set aside.
Step 4:
Remove the kale from the water and cut it into chunks.
Step 5:
Place the bacon in a saucepan and cook until crispy.
Step 6:
Add the onion, garlic, and thyme, then stir for about 1 minute or more.
1 min
Step 7:
Add the tomato, Scotch bonnet pepper, and smoked paprika.
Step 8:
Sauté for about 2–3 more minutes.
Step 9:
Add the vegetable oil and salt, then mix well.
Step 10:
Steam for about 6–8 minutes, or until the kale leaves are tender.
6–8 min
Step 11:
Add a tiny bit of water as needed, adjust the seasonings, and turn off the heat.
Step 12:
Using a sharp knife, cut both ends off the plantain.
Step 13:
Cut a shallow slit down the long seam of each plantain, only as deep as the peel.
Step 14:
Remove the plantain peel by pulling it back.
Step 15:
Slice the plantain into medium-size lengthwise slices and set aside.
Step 16:
Coat a large frying pan with cooking oil spray.
Step 17:
Spray the tops of the plantains with a generous layer of oil spray and sprinkle with salt and freshly ground pepper.
Step 18:
Fry the plantains over medium heat, shaking the pan every few minutes to redistribute them.
Step 19:
As the plantains brown, continue adding cooking oil spray, salt, and pepper as needed until they reach the desired color and texture.
Step 20:
Remove the plantains and serve with the kale.