Yegomen Kitfo (Collards with Spiced Cottage Cheese)

Okay, this is the last Ethiopian recipe for a while. I was just on a roll and had to include this one because it's become one of my favorites.

I don't know who first thought to make spiced cottage cheese (and then pair it with collard greens), but I'm giving him/her a standing ovation right now. Bravo.

YEGOMEN KITFO

(COLLARDS WITH SPICED COTTAGE CHEESE)

Yield:  8 servings

Cottage Cheese:

16 oz. cottage cheese

1/3 cup (5 1/3 tablespoons) niter kibbeh, melted

2 cloves garlic, slightly crushed

¼ teaspoon ground cardamom

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon black pepper

Greens:

2 lb. collard greens (washed, thick stems removed & chopped)

2 tablespoons finely chopped hot red chiles (or to taste)

1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger

1 teaspoon finely chopped garlic

½ teaspoon ground cardamom

¼ cup (4 tablespoons) niter kebbeh

2 tablespoons finely chopped onion

1.      Combine all the cottage cheese ingredients and let stand at room temperature for 15 minutes.  Remove garlic cloves and set aside.

2.      Steam collards in 1/4 cup water for about 40 minutes or until very tender.

3.      Add the chiles, ginger, garlic, cardamom, niter kibbeh and onions and mix well.  Spoon the greens over the cottage cheese.

barley adapted from ethiopianrecipes.net

adding spices and garlic to cottage cheese

measuring the nitter kibbeh (if the power goes out,
you can still cook by its soft florescent glow)

everything mixed

I forgot to remove the raw garlic and ended up eating
a big clove of it by accident...I have to say, I didn't mind
(of course the people around me might have later).

raw collards

cooked collards

There weren't any hot red chiles at the market, so I used jalapenos.

adding spices etc. to collards

all mixed

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