Dodo

🌿 Amaranth greens cooked with onion and tomato, served as four vegetable sides.

Ingredients

• 600 g trimmed edible amaranth leaves and tender shoots
• 150 g sliced onion
• 250 g chopped ripe tomatoes
• 25 ml neutral vegetable oil
• 50 ml water, only if needed
• 3 g salt, adjusted
• 1 pinch black pepper

Preparation

Remove roots, thick stems and damaged leaves; weigh 600 g edible leaves and tender shoots. Use identified food-grade amaranth, not an unidentified wild plant.

Wash in several changes of water, lifting the leaves out so grit remains behind. Drain well. Slice large leaves and chop tender stems.

Heat 25 ml oil in a wide pan over medium heat. Soften onion for five minutes without dark browning.

Add tomatoes and part of salt. Cook six to eight minutes, stirring and gently crushing, until the raw tomato smell fades.

Add greens in two or three batches, turning to coat with tomato and onion as each batch wilts.

Cover two minutes, uncover and cook another five to seven minutes over medium-low heat. Stir; add some of the reserved 50 ml water only if the pan dries before stems soften.

Check that leaves and retained stems are cooked and tender. Evaporate excess liquid uncovered without drying the greens.

Add pepper, taste and adjust salt. Serve four sides. Cool leftovers promptly in a shallow container, refrigerate and use within two days after thorough reheating.