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Legim
Haitian slow-cooked mashed vegetable stew of aubergine, cabbage, chayote, carrot and spinach with epis (vegetable version)
Legim (from the French légumes) is a Haitian Sunday dish, made in big pots in Port-au-Prince and the countryside and eaten with white rice or diri kole. Aubergine, cabbage, chayote (mirliton), carrots and spinach or watercress are cooked down slowly with epis and tomato paste until soft, then crushed with a pilon or spoon into a thick, rough, savoury mash. It's often cooked with beef or crab; this vegetable version is just as traditional for the days without meat. It tastes deep and green, gently sweet from the carrot and warm from clove and scotch bonnet. Chef's tip: cook it uncovered at the end until the liquid has almost gone and the oil shows at the edges; that's when the flavours concentrate and it stops tasting boiled.
- Total time
- 75 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Heat 3 tbsp vegetable oil in a large heavy pot over a medium heat. Fry 1 onion and 4 tbsp epis (Haitian seasoning base) for 4–5 minutes, until soft and fragrant.
5 minStep 2: Stir in 2 tbsp tomato paste and fry for 2 minutes, until it darkens to brick red and sticks a little to the bottom.
2 minStep 3: Add 2 aubergines and stir to coat in the paste. Cook for 5 minutes, until they start to soften and soak up the oil.
5 minStep 4: Add 10 ½ oz white cabbage, 2 chayote (mirliton), 2 carrots, 3 ½ oz green beans, 3 whole cloves, 3 sprigs fresh thyme, 1 scotch bonnet pepper and 1 cup water. Cover and cook over a low-medium heat for 25 minutes, stirring now and then, until everything is very soft.
25 minStep 5: Lift out the scotch bonnet, thyme stalks and cloves. Using a potato masher or a pilon, crush the vegetables into a rough, chunky mash, keeping some texture.
3 minStep 6: Stir in 7 oz spinach or watercress, 1 ½ tsp salt and ½ tsp black pepper and cook uncovered for 8–10 minutes, stirring, until the greens wilt and the stew is thick, with oil glistening at the edges. A common mistake is serving it wet and pale; it should be thick enough to hold a mound on a spoon.
10 minStep 7: Stir in 1 tbsp lime juice and taste for salt. Serve with white rice, diri kole or diri djon djon, and a spoon of pikliz.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 140 kcal
- Protein
- 4 g
- Carbs
- 18 g
- Fat
- 7 g
- Fibre
- 7 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does legim take?
- About 75 minutes in total: 25 minutes to prepare and 50 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- 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 white cabbage?
- Savoy or spring greens, same weight.
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