Gluten freeSaget
Spider plant greens in soured milk
Isageek: Kalenjin spider-plant leaves simmered with soured milk
Spider plant, saget to the Kalenjin and sagaa in Swahili, grows in every kitchen garden around Eldoret and Kericho, and its slightly bitter, peppery leaves are boiled and then softened with mursik or cream to go with ugali. The result is tender, dark greens in a tangy, creamy sauce, bitter in a pleasant way like rapini. Look for fresh or frozen spider-plant leaves at African grocers (sometimes sold as African cabbage or cleome); don't pick wild plants, and if you can't find them, use spinach with a handful of kale or mustard greens for the bite. Letting the milk boil hard is where people slip: it curdles into grainy bits, so add it over a low heat. Chef's tip: some homesteads cook saget the day before and leave it overnight in its milk; it mellows and tastes even better reheated gently.
- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- 30 min
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Serves
- 4
- Per serving
- 90 kcal
Ingredients
- 1 ⅛ lb spider-plant leaves (saget)fresh, picked from stems, or frozen; or 400 g spinach plus 100 g kale
- 6 ¼ cups waterfor boiling
- ¾ tsp salt
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 onionfinely chopped
- ¾ cup mursik or cultured buttermilkor 100 ml single cream for a milder finish
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Wash fresh 1 ⅛ lb spider-plant leaves (saget) in several changes of water until no grit remains. Frozen leaves can go straight into the pot.
Step 2: Bring 6 ¼ cups water to the boil with half of the ⅜ tsp salt. Add the leaves and boil uncovered over a medium-high heat until very tender and dark, about 15 minutes. This first boil draws out much of the bitterness. (Spinach and kale need only 3–4 minutes.)
15 minStep 3: Drain well, pressing out the water with a spoon, and chop roughly.
Step 4: Heat 1 tbsp vegetable oil in a pan over a medium heat and fry 1 onion until soft and pale gold.
5 minStep 5: Add the greens and the rest of the ⅜ tsp salt and stir for 2 minutes to dry them slightly.
2 minStep 6: Turn the heat to low, pour in ¾ cup mursik or cultured buttermilk and stir gently until it is hot and coats the leaves, about 5 minutes; keep it just below a simmer so it doesn't curdle.
5 minStep 7: Taste for salt and serve warm with ugali.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 90 kcal
- Protein
- 6 g
- Carbs
- 9 g
- Fat
- 4 g
- Fibre
- 4 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does saget take?
- About 40 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 30 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of onion?
- 2 shallots per onion.
- What can I use instead of mursik or cultured buttermilk?
- Milk with lemon juice or white vinegar: 1 tbsp per 240ml (1 cup) milk, left for 5 minutes.
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