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AI-generated photograph: Glossy dark green callaloo heaped in a shallow white bowl, flecked with red tomato and pale onion, a few thyme leaves on top

Home · Recipes · Steamed callaloo with tomato and thyme

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Steamed callaloo with tomato and thyme

steamed callaloo · sweet tomato · thyme and garlic

AI-generated photograph

Callaloo is a leafy green much loved in Jamaica, a little like spinach but sturdier. Here it is steamed in its own juices with onion, garlic, tomato and thyme until tender and glossy.

Contains: none of the 14 allergens, as written. None of the 14 allergens is in this recipe as written.

Ingredients

  • 500g fresh callaloo (from Caribbean grocers and some markets), or the same weight of spinach
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 1 onion, thinly sliced
  • 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 1 tomato, chopped
  • 2 sprigs fresh thyme (about 3g)
  • Half a scotch bonnet chilli, seeds scraped out, finely chopped
  • Half a teaspoon salt
  • A quarter teaspoon black pepper

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Let's cook

  1. Prepare the callaloo. Strip the leaves from the thick stalks. Peel the tough outer skin off the stalks with a small knife, then chop the stalks into 1cm pieces. Roughly chop the leaves. Wash everything well in a big bowl of cold water and lift it out into a colander, leaving any grit behind.
  2. Heat the oil in a large pan or wok that has a lid on a medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 4 minutes until soft. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute more.
  3. Add the tomato, thyme and scotch bonnet. Wash your hands after touching the chilli. Cook for 2 minutes until the tomato starts to soften.
  4. Add the chopped stalks first and stir. Pile the leaves on top, sprinkle over the salt and pepper and add 3 tablespoons of water.
  5. Put the lid on and turn the heat down to low. Let it steam for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring once halfway, until the stalks are tender and the leaves are dark and soft. (Spinach needs only 2 to 3 minutes.)
  6. Take out the thyme stalks, taste for salt and serve hot.

Tips

  • Callaloo shrinks a lot as it cooks, so a big pile of raw leaves makes a modest dish.
  • Keep the lid on: the steam does the cooking, so the greens stay bright instead of stewed.

Swaps

  • Tinned callaloo: use two 280g tins, drained, and steam for only 3 minutes.
  • Milder: leave out the scotch bonnet.
  • Richer: stir in 2 tablespoons of coconut milk at the end.

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Our own recipe. The photograph is AI-generated.

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The Caribbean meal plan