Cooked with onion, garlic, tomatoes, thyme, and Scotch bonnet pepper, Jamaican Callaloo is a famous local staple green leafy vegetable. For a tropical breakfast, lunch, or supper, this healthful side dish is ideal. Callaloo, also known as amaranth, is an ancient green leafy vegetable that has been consumed for thousands of years. It tastes like spinach but with a stronger flavor.
In Jamaica, farmers produce callaloo seeds and sell the plant in local markets.
Jamaican Callaloo
Iron, calcium, folate, potassium, magnesium, vitamin A, and vitamin C are all found in this infamous weed. Callaloo can be found at supermarkets throughout the Caribbean, Asia, and/or other parts of the world.
Ingredients
4 cups callaloo, chopped and tightly packed
1 tablespoon olive oil, or coconut oil
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 green onions, chopped
2 sprigs thyme
1 medium tomato, chopped
Salt to taste
1 Scotch Bonnet pepper, whole or 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons water
Instructions
Remove the outer old leaves and peel the outer membrane of each callaloo stem.
Cover callaloo in cold water, add 1/2 teaspoon salt, and leave aside while prepping the remaining vegetables
After discarding the water, rinse with water and drain. Callaloo should be chopped.
In a large pot, heat the oil and saute the onion, garlic, spring onion, thyme, tomato, and scotch bonnet pepper until the onion is transparent.
Allow it boil for 5-10 minutes on low heat, or until callaloo is soft.
Notes
It can take anywhere from 5 to 10 minutes to cook a callaloo, depending on how delicate it is.