With origins in West Africa, callaloo—a braised dish of leafy greens—is an integral part of Caribbean cuisine. Callaloo is so significant to the region, it is the national dish of three countries—Trinidad and Tobago, French Saint Martin, and Dominica. The type of greens vary by region, switching from taro to amaranth to water spinach. At Canje in Austin, Texas—one of our 10 Best New Restaurants of 2022—chef Tavel Bristol-Joseph uses local Southern greens, often a mixture of spinach, and collard, turnip, and mustard greens.
Callaloo can be thick and stewy, smooth and soupy, or—like they do at Canje—rife with texture. Broiled kale offers a whisper of char and a toothsome bite in this version. Serve it as a side with rice, chicken, or fish.
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What you’ll need
Dutch Oven
$133 $80 At Amazon
Tongs
$21 At Amazon
Rimmed Baking Sheet
$30 At Amazon
Microplane Grater
$18 At Amazon
Citrus Juicer
$20 $15 At Amazon
Recipe information
Yield
4 servings
Ingredients
1
1
1
2
1
1
1
1
¼
1
3
Preparation
Step 1
Remove ribs and stems from 1 large bunch Swiss chard (about 8 oz.), preferably white or yellow; trim and thinly slice. Coarsely chop leaves. Trim and thinly slice stems from 1 large bunch mature spinach (about 8 oz.); keep leaves whole.
Step 2
Place a rack 5" away from broiler; heat broiler. Toss 1 large bunch curly kale (about 1 lb.), ribs and stems removed, leaves torn into large pieces, 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil, and a large pinch of kosher salt on a rimmed baking sheet to coat. Broil, rotating baking sheet halfway through, until wilted and blistered in spots, 7–9 minutes. (You can skip this step, if you prefer, and add kale along with other greens.)
Step 3
Toast 1 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes, 1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper, 1 tsp. ground allspice, 1 tsp. ground mustard, and ¼ tsp. ground cumin in a dry large Dutch oven or other heavy pot over medium heat, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Pour in 1 cup unsweetened coconut milk and bring to a simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly reduced, about 5 minutes.
Step 4
Add 3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced, Swiss chard ribs, stems, and leaves, and spinach stems and leaves (and kale if you didn’t broil it). Cook, stirring occasionally, until greens are wilted and tender, 8–12 minutes (kale will still have some bite). Add broiled kale and stir until everything is coated in the spiced coconut milk. Remove pot from heat; stir in zest and juice of 1 large lime. Taste callaloo and season with more salt if needed.
Leave a Review
Reviews (11)
Back to TopAs a Trinidadian I can soundly tell you that is NOT callaloo.
Anonymous
9/18/2022
No, NOT callaloo, but very tasty, nonetheless, with the three types of greens. Throw in a habanero too; it can use it
A cook from Buffalo
Buffalo, NY
9/28/2022
this is not Caribbean style. the Callaloo and Spinach needs to be steamed to give it softness and for it to gently flavor the rest of the pot. Kale and swiss chard are north american varations that quite honestly we don't use in the Caribbean. also if you want to make it velvety, use butter when sauteing the greens slowly. Always remove the stems and wash several times to remove all the sand and foreign matter. spin them dry or dry with a cloth. then chiffonade. this ensures they will cook and be seasoned evenly. be sure to add the butter before you add the coconut milk. to retain the color, do not cover the pot with a lid - as this destroys the bright green color.
Reality
Ocho Rios Jamaica
9/29/2022
Callaloo was great!! Very fragrant and well spiced. I used a green chile instead of chile flakes, and may have added too much black pepper. Still it was very good. I have never had another callaloo so I don't know how authentic it is, but I definitely liked it.
Cedar Beck
Washington DC
10/4/2022
Great recipe. eased up on the red pepper flakes (I have very spicy red pepper flakes in my pantry) and added a sliced shallot in with the toasted spices before adding the coconut milk. No need for toasting the kale in the oven first. Just toss it all in.
NoRegrets
Boerne, Texas
10/19/2022
This is NOTHING like Calaloo. It was a good green veggie dish, but the lack of okra, and addition of other greens makes it something else. It was good, but no one in my household wanted to eat it. They wanted authentic Calaloo (with Spinach or Dasheen and okra), This is too far from the original.
MsWarren28
Pompano Beach, FL
1/8/2023